A ketogenic diet primarily consists of high fats, moderate proteins, and very low carbohydrates. The first use of ketogenic diet has been recorded in 1921 to treat epilepsy. For almost a decade, the ketogenic diet enjoyed a place in the medical world as a therapeutic diet for pediatric epilepsy and was widely used until its popularity ceased with the introduction of antiepileptic drugs.

Basically, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy production in body tissues. When the body is deprived of carbohydrates due to reducing intake, insulin secretion is significantly reduced and the body enters a catabolic state. Glycogen stores deplete, forcing the body to go through certain metabolic changes. Two metabolic processes come into action when there is low carbohydrate availability in body tissues: gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis.

Gluconeogenesis is the endogenous production of glucose in the body, especially in the liver primarily from lactic acid, glycerol, and amino acids. When glucose availability drops further, the endogenous production of glucose is not able to keep up with the needs of the body and ketogenesis begins in order to provide an alternate source of energy in the form of ketone bodies. Ketone bodies replace glucose as a primary source of energy. During ketogenesis due to low blood glucose feedback, the stimulus for insulin secretion is also low, which sharply reduces the stimulus for fat and glucose storage. Other hormonal changes may contribute to the increased breakdown of fats that result in fatty acids. Fatty acids are then converted in to ketone bodies.
This metabolic state is referred to as "nutritional ketosis." As long as the body is deprived of carbohydrates, the metabolism remains in the ketotic state. The nutritional ketosis state is considered quite safe, as ketone bodies are produced in small concentrations without any alterations in blood pH. It greatly differs from ketoacidosis, a life-threatening condition where ketone bodies are produced in extremely larger concentrations, altering blood pH to an acidotic state.
Ketone bodies synthesized in the body can be easily used for energy production by the heart, muscle tissue, and kidneys. The popular belief that high-fat diets cause obesity and several other diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer has not been observed with ketogenic diet. Overweight individuals with metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes are likely to see improvements in the clinical markers of disease risk with a well-formulated ketogenic diet. Glucose control improves due to less glucose introduction and improved insulin sensitivity. In addition to reducing weight, especially truncal obesity and insulin resistance, low-carb diets also may help improve blood pressure, blood glucose regulation, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol levels. However, LDL cholesterol may increase on this diet.

Also, in various studies, the ketogenic diet has shown promising results in a variety of neurological disorders, like epilepsy, dementia, traumatic brain injury, as well as acne, cancers, and metabolic disorders.

So, now let's see some healthy foods that can be incorporated into a regular ketogenic diet.

01. Seafood.
02. Avocado.
03. Meat & poultry.
04. Low carb vegetables.
05. Eggs.
06. Coconut oil.
07. Nuts & seeds.
08. Berries.

Although beneficial, sometimes ketogenic diet can cause adverse effects too.
Some common ones include, nausea, vomiting, headache, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, difficulty in exercise tolerance, and constipation.
In addition, it is important to note that people suffering from diabetes and taking insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents suffer severe hypoglycemia if the medications are not appropriately adjusted before initiating this diet. The ketogenic diet is contraindicated in patients with pancreatitis, liver failure, disorders of fat metabolism, and porphyrias.

Ok. That is about the ketogenic diet.
Hope someone found this video interesting and helpful.
Thanks for watching.

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