Healthy eating pyramid

The healthy eating pyramid is developed by the Institute of Food and Nutrition and indicates which foods should be eaten more often and which foods should be eaten less often to ensure an optimum. The base of the pyramid is carbohydrates - breads, pasta, cereals, potatoes. On a ketogenic diet, the pyramid is inverted. Carbohydrates are replaced by fats. The main principles of the ketogenic diet are not only the elimination of carbohydrates, but the replacement of meals containing sugar (i.e. also vegetables and fruit, for example) with high-quality fats. The consumption of olive oil and avocado oil is particularly recommended. The ketogenic diet is designed to mimic the starvation state of producing ketone bodies from fat.

Physiology on the ketogenic diet

When foods containing carbohydrates are consumed, glucose is absorbed from the intestinal lumen into the bloodstream. Glucose is the body's main fuel. Excess glucose can be converted to fat. In addition, glucose is also converted to glycogen, which is the body's 'spare fuel'. Glycogen provides an energy store for about 10-12 hours. If the body does not receive a meal during this time, glucose is obtained from the breakdown of proteins, fat and lactate. After a few days, the metabolism switches over and the main fuel becomes ketone bodies, which are a product of fat burning.

Ketogenic diet: the downside

As doctors and dieticians point out, the ketogenic diet should be carried out prudently, under the guidance of specialists. A high-fat diet can cause an increase in cholesterol levels. This diet should not be implemented in people who suffer from liver failure. The downside of following a keto diet is that many people's bodies simply cannot tolerate a fat-rich diet. Symptoms of intolerance include abdominal pain, bloating and constipation. In a small number of people, electrolyte disturbances, under-proteinisation, hypoglycaemia, swelling of the kidneys and liver and even cardiomyopathy can occur. Diet can also lead to micronutrient deficiencies.

Ketogenic diet, photo: panthermedia

Ketogenic diet as indicated in certain clinical cases

Epilepsy

It appears that the ketogenic diet has very desirable results in patients suffering from epilepsy. The ketone bodies that are produced during the keto diet affect the nervous system, leading to a reduction in neuronal excitability. How this happens is not known. A significant, noticeable effect occurs after 2 weeks of elevated levels of ketone bodies (ketosis). The body manages to switch the metabolic trajectory of nerve cells by altering gene activity. It is also presumed that glucose restriction alone inhibits nerve cell excitability.

Oncology patients

A diet dominated by medium-chain fatty acids may find application in cancer patients. It has been confirmed that the growth of malignant CNS tumours was inhibited after the implementation of the keto diet. What is the reason for this? First and foremost, the fact that many tumours need glucose to grow. Its restriction had the effect of inhibiting tumour growth. Cancer cells are unable to burn either ketone bodies or fats, so it seems that limiting the supply of glucose in the diet may in some way "starve" the tumour.

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The ketogenic diet - find out its pros and cons!

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