The basis of the ketogenic diet is the elimination of carbohydrates from the daily menu and their replacement with fats. The ketogenic diet is used to treat epilepsy and is mainly recommended for those patients for whom pharmacology does not have the expected results.
The main source of energy is carbohydrates, which is why we consume them more (about 50%). Next to them are fats - 35%, in the daily diet - protein (about 15%). When the body gets too few carbohydrates, it needs energy from fats, which are the basis of the ketogenic diet. Fat can be 80 to 90 percent.
While its use produces quick results and people who use it after a few days will notice a difference, this change does not last long. They are often malnourished and lack basic nutrients.
Contrary to many people's beliefs, the ketogenic diet is not the next "miracle" diet. This special menu has been created for a specific purpose. Research shows that limiting the intake of carbohydrates into fat is ideal for people with persistent epilepsy.
Supportive treatment for fats, diet for autism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, certain types of epilepsy and encephalopathy are also being considered.
The ketogenic diet - how does it work?
When fats become the main fuel of the body during their decomposition, ketone bodies are formed: acetone, acetoxic and beta-hydroxybutyric acid. They reach the nervous system, where instead of glucose they supply the nerve cells.
Although the metabolic changes in this diet are similar to those that occur in hungry people, in the case of epilepsy they have a beneficial effect. The high concentration of ketone bodies in the blood prevents the onset of seizures.