Ketogenic diet

 The first therapeutic diet designed for paediatric Epilepsy contains enough protein to help body growth and repair. It also offers enough calories [Note 1] to maintain an appropriate body weight and height. The original therapeutic ketogenic diet was devised in 1920 for the treatment of epilepsy in children. It gained popularity in the following decade because of the availability of powerful anticonvulsant medicines. This classic ketogenic diet contains a 4:1 ketogenic ratio or ratio by the weight of fat to protein and carbohydrate. This is accomplished by cutting down on the consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods like pasta, bread sugar, vegetables, fruits that are starchy as well as bread and grains and increasing consumption of fats such as butter, cream and nuts. [1] The majority of fats in the diet is made up of long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) molecules. Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are made up of fatty acids which are shorter in carbon chains than those of LCTs, are more ketogenic. A variant of the classic diet known as the MCT ketogenic diet makes use of the coconut oil, which is rich in MCTs, and can provide around half the calories. Because less overall fat is required in this version of the diet, a larger amount of protein and carbs can be consumed, allowing an increased variety of options for food.