Long-time listeners of the Nutrition Diva podcast might recall an episode I did in 2013 in which I briefly mentioned the ketogenic diet. I didn’t get into too many details about the diet; I was talking about how two people can get similar results following diametrically opposed strategies. (Also, about the extremes that some people go to in order to lose weight!)
As I said back then, the ketogenic diet deserves an episode of its own. In the five years it’s taken me to make good on that promise, the ketogenic diet has gone from a fringe fad diet to a mainstream fad diet! Every week, I get questions from listeners about what this diet is, whether it’s effective, and whether it’s safe.
Not that you have to ask me to get answers to these questions! I’m sure that there are several people in your office, at your gym, in your carpool, and around your Thanksgiving table that can give you their opinion, based on personal experience or stuff they read on the internet. But here, better late than never, is a perspective based on the evidence—such as it is.
What's the Evidence for the Ketogenic Diet?
One of the reasons it has taken me so long to venture into this topic more fully is that the evidence on the ketogenic diet for weight loss has been pretty skimpy.
This diet has been very well-researched as a therapy for epilepsy. Although it can be very effective in preventing seizures, it is usually conducted under strict medical supervision. And not just because epilepsy is a serious condition. Until more recently, the ketogenic diet was considered far too extreme and potentially risky to recommend for general use.
Now, it is one of the fastest growing diet and weight loss trends, touted in best-selling diet books and by celebrities, personal trainers, and other people that you might not necessarily want to take medical advice from.
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