What is the ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet has been a particularly fashionable high-fat diet in recent years.

However, it has been used for almost a hundred years to treat certain conditions, including epilepsy.

The diet aims to drastically reduce carbohydrate intake in favour of fats to induce a state of ketosis.

In addition to significant weight loss, it is said to have many health benefits.

Features of the ketogenic diet

• A very high intake of lipids (75% of intake)
• An unchanged protein intake
• A significant reduction in carbohydrate intake
• Causes unpleasant symptoms in the first few weeks (ketogenic flu)
• Rapid weight loss
• The state of ketosis would bring many health benefits (increased energy, protection against certain pathologies, etc.)

Main principles of the ketogenic diet

Originally used in children with epilepsy to reduce seizures, the ketogenic or keto diet was developed in the 1920s.

This diet first showed anticonvulsant effects in epileptics.

In recent years, the ketogenic diet has become popular as a quick way to lose weight.

The ketogenic diet has also been used to improve the symptoms of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

How does the ketogenic diet work?

The ketogenic diet for weight loss is characterised by the consumption of:

• No more than 50g of carbohydrates per day. This is about 5% of the total calories consumed during the day. A normal diet usually provides between 45-65% of our calories as carbohydrates.
• 75% lipids
• 20% protein

This diet therefore completely reverses our traditional food pyramid and its basic principles.

How does the ketogenic diet cause weight loss?

Normally, the body gets its energy from the carbohydrates consumed during the day, which are necessary for the body to function properly.

In the ketogenic diet, where carbohydrates are extremely limited, the body begins to draw on its carbohydrate reserves stored in the muscles and liver, called "glycogen" reserves.

Since each gram of glycogen is bound to 3-4 grams of water in the body, the significant weight loss at the beginning of the ketogenic diet is largely a loss of water.

As glycogen stores are depleted, the body naturally begins to use lipids or fats for energy.

However, when the body uses lipids in the absence of carbohydrates, it produces waste products called ketone bodies.

Ketones then build up in the blood and their odour, similar to nail polish, is noticeable on the breath.

This is the main indicator that the body is in a state of 'ketosis'.

It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to reach this state.

You can check whether you are in 'ketosis' by buying urine test strips from a pharmacy.

This state of 'ketosis' causes a marked decrease in appetite, which contributes to a reduction in the amount of food eaten.

It can also cause nausea and fatigue.

Although this diet does not focus on counting calories, people who follow it actually eat fewer calories because they are not hungry, and this leads to weight loss.

Duration of the ketogenic diet

The special ketogenic diet for weight loss has no time limit.

It is more of a lifestyle than a temporary diet.

When the ketogenic diet is used in the therapeutic area, the duration varies from a few weeks to several years, depending on the expected results.