Ketogenic Nutrition and Health

Abstract

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, adequate-protein and very low-carb diet regimen that simulates/mimics the metabolism of the fasting state to stimulate the production of ketone bodies. KD has long stood out as a highly successful dietary approach for the treatment of epilepsy. According to the latest data, the therapeutic effect of KD seems promising for many diseases such as cancer, diabetes, obesity as well as epilepsy. Given the widespread practice of this diet, even among individuals who do not need to lose weight, there is some concern about the potential long-term consequences of widespread adoption of this diet by large sections of the population. In this review, prominent concepts related to KD and the KD are expressed, and experimental and/or clinical data on the efficacy and safety of KD in different diseases are summarized. The possible mechanisms of the understood effects of KD at the cellular and molecular level were discussed, emphasizing that there may be multiple mechanisms that need further clarification. Scientific data on the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action of KD are insufficient, and more studies are required in order to expand the clinical application of KD.