Thursday, July 18, 2013

What is a Ketogenic Diet?

A ketogenic diet is a specialized diet that incorporates a high-fat diet. It may be used for many purposes, including treating seizures or losing weight. A high fat ketogenic diet includes eating heavy creams, oils, and butter to provide the necessary fat to maintain the diet. The diet eliminates sources of massive carbohydrates, including candy, sweets and desserts. Carbohydrate laden foods including potatoes, rice, pastas and breads are excluded from this diet. 

Ketogenic diets can help individuals with seizures. The diet has often been recommended for individuals with atonic and tonic-clonic seizures. The diet may be difficult to maintain for some individuals due to its strict protocols. Studies suggest that approximately 1/3 of children using a ketogenic diet have more than 90% control of seizures while maintaining a ketogenic diet. 

How Ketogenic Diets Maintain Seizure Control

Doctors and researchers are not entirely certain how the ketogenic diet maintains control of seizures. Many believes that the ketogenic diet produces metabolic changes in the body that affect brain chemistry. The diet may breakdown fat as energy rather than glucose. The diet results in ketosis a condition that is produced by eating just the right balance of foods, including fat, protein and a very minute amount of carbohydrates. 

The calorie level for individuals on this type of diet is based on the size, age and activity level of individuals on the diet. The diet can be calculated as four times as much fat as protein and carbohydrate levels combined. Each meal plan must be calculated exactly to result in the desired effect of ketosis. 

Most individuals following a ketogenic diet should be under the supervision of a medical practitioner or other healthcare provider if following a ketogenic diet to maintain control of seizure. The diet may prove beneficial immediately or effects may take several weeks or months to show results.

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