Keto, short form for Ketogenic, is a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carb diet.
It was introduced in the 1920s to cure epilepsy (a disorder that causes seizures and changes in consciousness levels) in children.
When we eat carbohydrates, they are broken into glucose (energy) and transported to cells for body and brain functioning.
But when we reduce carbohydrate intake, the liver reads it as a starvation-like situation.
The body still needs energy, so the liver converts accumulated fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies.
These ketone bodies pass into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source.
An increased level of ketone bodies reduces the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The Keto diet lost popularity in the 1930s when effective anti-epileptic drugs became readily available.
It became famous again in the mid-1990s when Hollywood producer Jim Abraham’s 2-year old son, who had epilepsy (that couldn’t be controlled with mainstream therapies), benefitted from the Keto diet.
This got publicity, and scientific interest in the Keto diet exploded.
Jim Abraham then produced a movie, starring Meryl Streep, called First Do No Harm, that showed how the Keto diet cures a so-far incurable epileptic condition of a child.
This led to its mass awareness and popularity.
Then science found that the diet could have benefits against diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease.
A typical keto diet will have food items such as broccoli, mushrooms, seafood, cheese, avocados, eggs, coconut oil, berries, and nuts & seeds.
The Keto diet is also known to have some side effects, and it should be followed only after consultation with a doctor.
