TY - JOUR
T1 - Ketogenic diet in clinical populations—a narrative review
AU - Zemer, Alon
AU - Samaei, Shabnam
AU - Yoel, Uri
AU - Biderman, Aya
AU - Pincu, Yair
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Zemer, Samaei, Yoel, Biderman and Pincu.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet, designed to induce a metabolic state of ketosis in which the body metabolizes primarily lipids for energy production. Various forms of KD are being promoted as promising treatments for numerous health conditions from chronic headaches to weight-loss and even different forms of cancer and are becoming increasingly more popular. KD appears to be an efficacious approach for weight-loss, and maintenance, improved glycemia, cognitive function and cancer prognosis. However, there is a controversy regarding the safety of KD, and the potential health risks that might be associated with long-term exposure to KD. There is a gap between the acceptance and utilization of KD in individuals with health conditions and the criticism and negative attitudes toward KD by some clinicians. Many individuals choose to follow KD and are encouraged by the positive results they experience. Although the medical establishment does not endorse KD as a first line of treatment, clinicians need to be informed about KD, and offer support and medical supervision for patients who self-select to follow KD. This can ensure that within the boundaries of KD, patients will make good and healthy dietary choices and prevent clinical disengagement in extreme cases. To that end, there is an urgent need for good quality research to address the issues of long-term safety of KD in different clinical populations and for standardization of KD both in research and in the clinic.
AB - Ketogenic diet (KD) is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate (CHO) diet, designed to induce a metabolic state of ketosis in which the body metabolizes primarily lipids for energy production. Various forms of KD are being promoted as promising treatments for numerous health conditions from chronic headaches to weight-loss and even different forms of cancer and are becoming increasingly more popular. KD appears to be an efficacious approach for weight-loss, and maintenance, improved glycemia, cognitive function and cancer prognosis. However, there is a controversy regarding the safety of KD, and the potential health risks that might be associated with long-term exposure to KD. There is a gap between the acceptance and utilization of KD in individuals with health conditions and the criticism and negative attitudes toward KD by some clinicians. Many individuals choose to follow KD and are encouraged by the positive results they experience. Although the medical establishment does not endorse KD as a first line of treatment, clinicians need to be informed about KD, and offer support and medical supervision for patients who self-select to follow KD. This can ensure that within the boundaries of KD, patients will make good and healthy dietary choices and prevent clinical disengagement in extreme cases. To that end, there is an urgent need for good quality research to address the issues of long-term safety of KD in different clinical populations and for standardization of KD both in research and in the clinic.
KW - cancer
KW - diabetes
KW - intractable pediatric epilepsy
KW - neurodegenerative disease
KW - obesity
KW - very-low-carbohydrate-diet
KW - weight-loss
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208634594&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1432717
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2024.1432717
M3 - Review article
C2 - 39534224
AN - SCOPUS:85208634594
SN - 2296-858X
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Medicine
JF - Frontiers in Medicine
M1 - 1432717
ER -