Ketogenic Diet

Nick Evans, Brooke Armstrong, Jake Crull

 Diet Definition
The ketogenic diet is defined as a diet that involves eating a large amount of fat,
moderate protein, and minimal to no carbohydrate, used to produce a ketogenic state
in the body. Your body burns fat rather than carbs. (1).

● The diet is known for the strikingly low amounts of carbohydrates and an
immense increase in the proportions fat (2).
○ 60-75% of calories from fat (or even more)
○ 15-30% of calories from protein
○ 5-10% of calories from carbs
■ 50 net grams a day
● The goal is for your body to enter ketosis.
What is ketosis?

● A metabolic state characterized by raised levels of ketone bodies in the blood.

● Ketones: Chemical substances that the body makes when it does not have enough insulin
in the blood. They are a byproduct of fatty acid metabolism.
How do you know you are in ketosis?

● Urine test strip

● Blood ketone reader
○ BHB levels between 1.5-3.0 mmol
● “Keto Breath”
What does a typical keto diet look like?

● Foods high in fat

○ Beef, dark meat chicken/turkey, whole eggs, cheese, oils, nuts/
seeds, fish
● Green and some colored veggies
○ Spinach, broccoli, green beans, peppers, etc
● Small amounts of fruit (except avocado)
○ Avocado, berries
● Soup broth
● Excluded food
○ Any carbohydrate (excluding fiber); breads, rice, corn, fruit, sugar,
milk, pasta, etc.
 Pros:

● Aids in weight loss

● Reduces cardiovascular disease risk (3)
○ Lowered cholesterol and blood pressure 260 220 after 3.5
● Symptomatic improvements of patients with Type 2 Diabetes (4)
months
● Treatment of epileptic seizures (5)
● Could be used to treat people with neurodegenerative disorders (such as multiple
sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s) (6)
● Treatment of traumatic brain injuries
● Reduced blood glucose (7)
● Reduces inflammation and pain, providing relief for arthritis, nerve damage and
diabetes (9)
● Studies have shown that this diet can be beneficial long-term
Cons

● Long term ketosis could be detrimental to long-term health (8)

● High-fat diets could also cause neurological damage and affect body weight.
● Processed foods often have added sugar, which will make you leave ketosis
● Increased urine production causes electrolyte deficiencies
○ “Keto Flu”
● Not recommended for physical performance (10)
● Many gain weight after finishing the diet
Population
● Very overweight individuals who struggle to lose weight with
traditional dieting
● Patients who experience seizures or certain
neurodegenerative disorders
- Doctors recommend to children whose seizures have
not responded to medicine
- According to emory school of medicine the diet alters
genes involved in energy metabolism in the brain
● Improve diabetes complications
- the ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbs
Sustainability

● Eating out becomes very difficult

○ Many options may contain added sugar
○ Very limited options
● Would be harder for people with large dietary restrictions
● Sustainable as long as you are losing weight
● Good for short term but not long
● Studies have shown that nutrient deficiencies may be possible
Conclusion

● Recommended for people who are obese and live a sedentary lifestyle
○ Very good for weight loss but not for physical performance.
● Sustainability can be debated
● A traditional weight loss diet should be used first
References:
1. Ketogenic Diet Medical Definition. (n.d.). https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/ketogenic%20diet
2. Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J. S., & Grimaldi, K. A. (2013, August 13). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of
very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826507/
3. Kosinski, C., & Jornayvaz, F. (2017, May 19). Effects of Ketogenic Diets on Cardiovascular Risk
Factors.http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=8075A541C6A5474C8A55936C7BD40602&CID=3AB82E682C506F3A32CC25C32DFF
6EAA&rd=1&h=_jGhe4_mXFwtbVyzF6m0tL6dPUdynNNzNGlQze3pZ4Q&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mdpi.com%2f2072-
6643%2f9%2f5%2f517&p=DevEx,5069.1
4. Paoli, A., Rubini, A., Volek, J. S., & Grimaldi, K. A. (2013, August). Beyond weight loss: a review of the therapeutic uses of
very-low-carbohydrate (ketogenic) diets. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3826507/
5. Kessler, S. K., Neal, E. G., Camfield, C. S., & Kossoff, E. H. (2011, September). Dietary therapies for epilepsy: future
research. Retrieved March 08, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21441072
6. Scott-Dixon, K., Ph.D. , & Kollias, H. (2018, February 04). The Ketogenic Diet: Does it live up to the hype? The pros, the cons,
and the facts about this not-so-new diet craze. Retrieved March 08, 2018, from https://www.precisionnutrition.com/ketogenic-
diet
7. Dashti, H. M., Mathew, T. C., Hussein, T., Asfar, S. K., Behbahani, A., Khoursheed, M. A., . . . Al-Zaid, N. S. (2004). Long-term
effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients. Retrieved March 08, 2018, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2716748/8. Willett, B. (2017, October 03).
8. The Advantages & Disadvantages of Ketosis. Retrieved March 08, 2018, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/492485-the-
advantages-disadvantages-of-ketosis/
9. Ketosis for Reduced Inflammation. (2018, January 03). https://www.perfectketo.com/ketosis-for-reduced-inflammation/
10. Urbain, Paul, et al. “Impact of a 6-Week Non-Energy-Restricted Ketogenic Diet on Physical Fitness, Body Composition and
Biochemical Parameters in Healthy Adults.” Nutrition & Metabolism, BioMed Central, 2017,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5319032/.