The Ketogenic Diet

In this blog I shall be discussing the positive effects of partaking in a Ketogenic Diet. The Ketogenic diet is when one consumes high amounts of fat, sufficient amounts of protein and low amounts of carbohydrates¹. This diet is intended to produce ketosis by mirroring the state of fasting or starvation¹. Ketosis happens when the central nervous system must burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates as there are not enough carbohydrates in the body to use for energy². It can happen naturally during pregnancy or prolonged exercise¹. It also happens when carbohydrates are limited in the diet. Below is some evidence proving that partaking in the ketongenic diet, when suffering from the named conditions, can be beneficial.

Type 2 Diabetes

Fig 1.

Insulin resistance is a key part of type 2 diabetes¹. Insulin resistance is when the cells in the body don’t have the correct response to insulin and results in high blood glucose levels¹. In the body of someone with insulin resistance, more carbohydrates are sent to the liver than in someone without the condition. In the liver, a large proportion of these carbohydrates are changed to fat¹. When the intake of carbohydrates is limited, the symptoms of insulin resistance decrease and frequently even disappear¹. A study in which type 2 diabetes patients partook in the ketogenic diet for only 2 weeks, the patients saw a 75% improvement in their insulin sensitivity¹. In many cases, patients who partook in the ketogenic diet were able to reduce the medications they were taking for their diabetes¹.

Fig 2.

Epilepsy

Research shows that for almost a hundred years, the ketogenic diet has been successful in the reduction of seizures³. In the 1990s, research studies and clinical trials in children confirmed its effectiveness in drug-resistant patients and certain paediatric epilepsy disorders³. As 19.5 million people word wide are resistant to drugs used to control seizures and epilepsy, these findings were very beneficial to those suffering³. Also, in an evaluation by the organisation Cochrane, the success of ketogenic diet is confirmed as every study showed a 30–40% decrease in seizures¹. The authors of the review also stated that the results of the Ketogenic diet were similar to those of current antiepileptic drugs¹.

Fig 3.

Cardiovascular Disease

The partaking in a particular version of the ketogenic diet, very low calorie ketogenic diet, has been proven to lower blood triglyceride levels and increase high density lipoprotein levels¹. The very low-calorie ketogenic diet can also result in the expansion in both volume and size of low-density lipoproteins¹. The increase has been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease as the larger size lipoproteins are less likely to block arteries¹. Furthermore, studies have shown that the decrease in carbohydrates in the diet can have a direct link with the improvement of lipid profiles in the blood¹. An enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of cholesterol is triggered by insulin¹. Therefore, a decrease in carbohydrates in the diet would result in a decrease in insulin levels and thus will reduce cholesterol biosynthesis and better lipid profiles¹.

Fig 4.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome is very common among women of child bearing age⁴. The symptoms often include absent/irregular menstruation, infertility, excess testosterone and excess body hair⁴. Related conditions also include insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, hyperinsulinemia and dyslipidaemia⁴. A study done in 2005 found that partaking in a low-calorie ketogenic diet for 6 months resulted in weight loss, a decrease in testosterone levels and insulin levels⁴. Excess hair growth was decreased, and menstruation seemed to be regulated⁴. Two of the women included in the study became pregnant despite experiencing problems with fertility previously⁴.

Overall, consuming a ketogenic diet has very many benefits for those suffering from the conditions above. 

Bibliography:

1. Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J. and Grimaldi, K. (2013). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. [online] NCBI. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826507/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

2. Freeman, J. and Kossoff, E. (2010). Ketosis and the Ketogenic Diet, 2010: Advances in Treating Epilepsy and Other Disorders. [online] Advances in Pediatrics. Available at: https://www.advancesinpediatrics.com/article/S0065-3101(10)00004-6/abstract [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

3. Williams, T. and Cervenka, M. (2017). The role for ketogenic diets in epilepsy and status epilepticus in adults. [online] NBCI. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123874/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

4. Mavropoulos, J., Yancy, W., Hepburn, J. and Westman, E. (2005). The effects of a low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet on the polycystic ovary syndrome: A pilot study. [online] NBCI. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1334192/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

Fig 1:  Spritzler, F. (2017). 16 Foods to Eat on a Ketogenic Diet. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ketogenic-diet-foods#section4 [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

Fig 2: Axe, J. (2019). Keto Diet For Beginners Made Easy: The Ultimate Guide to “Keto”. [online] Dr. Axe. Available at: https://draxe.com/guide-to-keto-diet-for-beginners/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

Fig 3: Moodie, A. (2019). Keto Diet for Beginners – Your Complete Guide. [online] Bulletproof. Available at: https://blog.bulletproof.com/keto-diet-beginners-guide/ [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].

Fig 4: Cold, F., Health, E., Disease, H., Disease, L., Management, P., Conditions, S. and Problems, S. (2005). Slideshow: What’s a Ketogenic Diet?. [online] WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-ketogenic-diet [Accessed 28 Mar. 2019].