Whether you are into fitness or not, trying to lose weight or not; you might have heard of the keto (short for ketogenic) diet. Many celebs have promoted it in the past, and so have fitness influencers. This low-carb, high-fat diet has proved to be highly effective for weight loss. A person on a keto diet reduces his/her intake of carbohydrates and switches to fat for energy. In this, the body undergoes a process called ketosis, which makes it highly effective in burning fat. Although, currently popular as a weight loss diet, do you know that it was initially developed for epilepsy patients? How does the keto diet help in epilepsy? For an answer to this question, Onlymyhealth spoke to Sreemathy Venkatraman, a gut health practitioner & wellness nutritionist and the founder of ‘Mitha Aahara-Eat to Live’.
Ketogenic (Keto) Diet: History
Many believe that the use of the keto diet for epilepsy goes as far back as ancient Greece. Ancient Greek philosopher Hippocrates is believed to use this low-carb, high-fat diet on epilepsy patients. It was used in other parts of the world as well. However, with the introduction of new anticonvulsant therapies, its use dropped. Most epilepsy cases could be managed with these medications. However, they weren’t that successful in 20-30% of cases. As a result, the ketogenic diet was reintroduced.
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Basic Characteristics Of Keto Diet
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The concept of the keto diet is quite straightforward. In this, the individual is kept fasted and his/her carbs intake is limited. Hence, the body starts burning fat for energy. During this process, ketones are produced. These ketones gradually cross through the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain where they are used as the alternate source of energy. In the ketogenic diet, 90% of the calories come from fats, 6% from proteins, and the remaining 4% from carbohydrates. This composition is called the gold standard for this diet.
Also read: 7 Ways To Achieve Ketosis State Faster
How Keto Diet Helps In Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a metabolic disease, said Sreemathy. And in a keto diet, the person’s metabolism is altered. Neurons, which are hyperexcitable nerve cells, contribute to the onset of seizures in epilepsy patients. Keto diet causes metabolic changes in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, which along with other factors decreases the excitability of neurons. This could have a stabilising effect on seizures, the nutritionist explained.
Keto Diet For Weight Loss
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The diet, designed for epilepsy patients, gained popularity worldwide as a weight loss diet. Here are some benefits of the keto diet:
- Aids weight loss
- Puts you on the track of fitness
- Controls appetite
- Boosts mental health
- Prevents metabolic syndrome
- Brings down the triglyceride levels
- Helps in insulin management
- Aids in managing blood pressure levels
- Boosts the ‘good’ cholesterol levels
Despite the benefits, this diet isn’t devoid of downsides. The disadvantage of the keto diet is that as you lose weight at an unprecedented rate, it causes fatigue, headache, nausea, etc. Also, some individuals must steer clear of this diet, such as:
- Those with kidney damage
- People at a high risk of heart diseases
- Pregnant or nursing women
- Type-1 diabetes patients
- Those with pre-existing liver or pancreatic condition
- Anyone who has got his/her gallbladder removed
A Keto diet does not just mean cutting down your carbs intake. You have to make up for it through fats and proteins. Hence, consult a nutritionist or dietician before starting with this. Also, instead of diets that last for just weeks or at most a few months, adopt a healthy and sustainable lifestyle, which includes a balanced diet, lots of exercise, stress management, and enough rest.
(With inputs from Sreemathy Venkatraman, a gut health practitioner & wellness nutritionist and the founder of ‘Mitha Aahara-Eat to Live’)
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