Overview
What is a ketogenic diet?
What are the ketogenic diet’s main benefits?
What are the ketogenic diet’s main drawbacks?
How does the ketogenic diet work?
Dosage information
The ketogenic diet is based on a low carbohydrate intake and a higher fat intake. Various definitions exist. The most commonly used is as follows:[1][2][3]
- Less than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day
- a minimum of 45% (and up to a maximum of 80%) of calories from fat
- 45% of calories from fat
- Remaining calories from protein
A VLCKD is more frequently used by physicians for treating people with obesity or epilepsy. It is defined as follows:[4]
- Less than 800 calories per day
- Less than 30 grams of carbohydrates per day
- Around 45% of calories from fat
- Around 40% of calories from protein
Examine Database: Ketogenic Diet
Research FeedRead all studies
The acute effects of carbohydrate restriction
In this 1-day randomized crossover trial, a ketogenic diet increased fat oxidation at rest while reducing postprandial triglycerides and free fatty acids and increasing postprandial blood glucose.
Lifestyle interventions for managing polycystic ovary syndrome
Does a modified Atkins diet reduce psychogenic non-epileptic seizures?
The effects of a ketogenic diet on endurance exercise performance
Ketogenic diet vs. DASH diet for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Frequently asked questions
Is the ketogenic diet good for athletes?
Can the ketogenic diet treat cancer?
Is the ketogenic diet safe in type II diabetes?
Is the ketogenic diet safe in type I diabetes?
Is the ketogenic diet safe during pregnancy?
Update History
Full page update
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References
Examine Database References
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- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Mohamed Rafiullah, Mohthash Musambil, Satish Kumar DavidEffect of a very low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet vs recommended diets in patients with type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysisNutr Rev.(2021 Aug 2)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Athinarayanan SJ, Adams RN, Hallberg SJ, McKenzie AL, Bhanpuri NH, Campbell WW, Volek JS, Phinney SD, McCarter JPLong-Term Effects of a Novel Continuous Remote Care Intervention Including Nutritional Ketosis for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A 2-Year Non-randomized Clinical TrialFront Endocrinol (Lausanne).(2019 Jun 5)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Choy KYC, Louie JCYThe effects of the ketogenic diet for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis of recent studies.Diabetes Metab Syndr.(2023-Dec)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Yeo Jin Choi, Sang-Min Jeon, Sooyoung ShinImpact of a Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic Parameters in Patients with Obesity or Overweight and with or without Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled TrialsNutrients.(2020 Jul 6)
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- Blood Flow - Francois ME, Myette-Cote E, Bammert TD, Durrer C, Neudorf H, DeSouza CA, Little JPCarbohydrate restriction with postmeal walking effectively mitigates postprandial hyperglycemia and improves endothelial function in type 2 diabetesAm J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol.(2018 Jan 1)
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- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Urbain P, Strom L, Morawski L, Wehrle A, Deibert P, Bertz HImpact of a 6-week non-energy-restricted ketogenic diet on physical fitness, body composition and biochemical parameters in healthy adultsNutr Metab (Lond).(2017 Feb 20)
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- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Partsalaki I, Karvela A, Spiliotis BEMetabolic impact of a ketogenic diet compared to a hypocaloric diet in obese children and adolescentsJ Pediatr Endocrinol Metab.(2012)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Yancy WS Jr, Westman EC, McDuffie JR, Grambow SC, Jeffreys AS, Bolton J, Chalecki A, Oddone EZA randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet vs orlistat plus a low-fat diet for weight lossArch Intern Med.(2010 Jan 25)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Hernandez TL, Sutherland JP, Wolfe P, Allian-Sauer M, Capell WH, Talley ND, Wyatt HR, Foster GD, Hill JO, Eckel RHLack of suppression of circulating free fatty acids and hypercholesterolemia during weight loss on a high-fat, low-carbohydrate dietAm J Clin Nutr.(2010 Mar)
- Weight - Vazquez JA, Kazi ULipolysis and gluconeogenesis from glycerol during weight reduction with very-low-calorie dietsMetabolism.(1994 Oct)
- Weight - Parker N Hyde, Teryn N Sapper, Christopher D Crabtree, Richard A LaFountain, Madison L Bowling, Alex Buga, Brandon Fell, Fionn T McSwiney, Ryan M Dickerson, Vincent J Miller, Debbie Scandling, Orlando P Simonetti, Stephen D Phinney, William J Kraemer, Sarah A King, Ronald M Krauss, Jeff S VolekDietary carbohydrate restriction improves metabolic syndrome independent of weight lossJCI Insight.(2019 Jun 20)
- Weight - Marzieh Taftian, Sara Beigrezaei, Vahid Arabi, Amin Salehi-AbargoueiThe Effect of Ketogenic Diet on Weight Loss in Adult Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical TrialsNutr Cancer.(2022 Feb 7)
- Muscle Mass - Phillips SA, Jurva JW, Syed AQ, Syed AQ, Kulinski JP, Pleuss J, Hoffmann RG, Gutterman DDBenefit of low-fat over low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial health in obesityHypertension.(2008 Feb)
- Muscle Mass - Varady KA, Bhutani S, Klempel MC, Phillips SAImprovements in vascular health by a low-fat diet, but not a high-fat diet, are mediated by changes in adipocyte biologyNutr J.(2011 Jan 20)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Foster GD, Wyatt HR, Hill JO, McGuckin BG, Brill C, Mohammed BS, Szapary PO, Rader DJ, Edman JS, Klein SA randomized trial of a low-carbohydrate diet for obesityN Engl J Med.(2003 May 22)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Keogh JB, Brinkworth GD, Noakes M, Belobrajdic DP, Buckley JD, Clifton PMEffects of weight loss from a very-low-carbohydrate diet on endothelial function and markers of cardiovascular disease risk in subjects with abdominal obesityAm J Clin Nutr.(2008 Mar)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Volek JS, Sharman MJ, Gómez AL, DiPasquale C, Roti M, Pumerantz A, Kraemer WJComparison of a very low-carbohydrate and low-fat diet on fasting lipids, LDL subclasses, insulin resistance, and postprandial lipemic responses in overweight womenJ Am Coll Nutr.(2004 Apr)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Miguel Ángel López-Espinoza, Salvador Chacón-Moscoso, Susana Sanduvete-Chaves, María José Ortega-Maureira, Tamara Barrientos-BravoEffect of a Ketogenic Diet on the Nutritional Parameters of Obese Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisNutrients.(2021 Aug 25)
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Castellana M, Conte E, Cignarelli A, Perrini S, Giustina A, Giovanella L, Giorgino F, Trimboli PEfficacy and safety of very low calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) in patients with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Rev Endocr Metab Disord.(2019 Nov 9)
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- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Amanollahi A, Khazdouz M, Malekahmadi M, Klement RJ, Lee D, Khodabakhshi AEffect of Ketogenic Diets on Cardio-Metabolic Outcomes in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Trials.Nutr Cancer.(2023)
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- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - Phillips MCL, Murtagh DKJ, Gilbertson LJ, Asztely FJS, Lynch CDPLow-fat versus ketogenic diet in Parkinson's disease: A pilot randomized controlled trialMov Disord.(2018 Aug)
- Body Fat - Cohen CW, Fontaine KR, Arend RC, Alvarez RD, Leath CA III, Huh WK, Bevis KS, Kim KH, Straughn JM Jr, Gower BAA Ketogenic Diet Reduces Central Obesity and Serum Insulin in Women with Ovarian or Endometrial CancerJ Nutr.(2018 Aug 1)
- Weight - Wang Z, Chen T, Wu S, Dong X, Zhang M, Ma GImpact of the ketogenic diet as a dietary approach on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Am J Clin Nutr.(2024 Aug)
- Blood Pressure - Amini MR, Askarpour M, Ghalandari H, Gholizadeh M, Pouraram HEffect of ketogenic diet on blood pressure: A GRADE-Assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.(2024-Apr)
- Seizure Frequency - Devi N, Madaan P, Kandoth N, Bansal D, Sahu JKEfficacy and Safety of Dietary Therapies for Childhood Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.JAMA Pediatr.(2023 Mar 1)
- Seizure Frequency - Martin-McGill KJ, Bresnahan R, Levy RG, Cooper PNKetogenic diets for drug-resistant epilepsy.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.(2020-06-24)
- Cortisol - Joseph Whittaker, Miranda HarrisLow-carbohydrate diets and men's cortisol and testosterone: Systematic review and meta-analysisNutr Health.(2022 Mar 7)
- Blood glucose - Salido-Bueno B, Gil-Hernandez E, Rueda-Ruzafa L, Gomez-Chica P, Roman P, Cardona DEffects of ketogenic diets on cancer-related variables: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.Nutr Bull.(2024 Jun 24)
- Seizures - Janssen-Aguilar R, la Portilla JG, Martínez-Juárez IE, Mimiaga-Hernandez C, Alvarado-Luis G, Aguilar-Hernandez A, Garcia-Esparza KA, Hernadez-Palestina M, Crail-Meléndez DThe impact of ketogenic diet on the frequency of psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES): A feasibility randomized pilot study.Epilepsia Open.(2025 Jan 22)