KETOGENIC DIET: BENEFITS VS UNWANTED EFFECTS - A SHORT REVIEW

REVIEW

Abstract

Since the introduction of ketogenic diet as a successful epilepsy treatment in the 1920s, researchers showed a continously elevating interest in the therapeutic use of this alimentary regimen even for other non-neurological conditions. Almost a century later, it is known that the ketogenic diet has many other beneficial effects, so that it can surely be used as either stand-alone or adjuvant therapy in several illnesses.         We found that there is a long list of benefits regarding the ketogenic diet, both in neurological diseases such as epilepsy and Parkinson's disease, as well as in non-neurological conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. We discussed about each potential therapeutic use of the alimentary regimen, also considering whether there is sufficient evidence or further studies are needed.More beneficial effects of the ketogenic diet were found during our research than adverse reactions. However, even the low likelihood of an unwanted effect to appear makes the risk assessment for each individual patient reasonable. Our aim was to identify what therapeutic uses the ketogenic diet has and also the adverse effects that can diminish the adherence and compliance of the patients related to this alternative treatment. Thus, our study consists of a literature review.