History of ketogenic diet||Diet||Best answer:

Introduction to the ketogenic diet:

In general ketogenic diet is a diet,in which ketone bodies are produced in the liver, shifting the body's metabolism away from the glucose and towards fat utilization.

More specifically,a ketogenic diet is a diet , which restricts carbohydrates below a certain level (generally 100gm/day), inducing a series a adaptation to take place.

Fig:Ketogenic diet

History of the ketogenic diet:

There are two primary path (and numerous sub paths) that the ketogenic diet has followed since it's inception: treatment of epilepsy and the treatment of obesity.

Fasting

Fasting and ketogenic diet are metabolically very similar. The similarities between these two metabolic states have in part led to the development of the ketogenic diet over the years.

The ketogenic diet attempts to mimic the metabolic effects of fasting while food is being consumed.

Epilepsy:

The ketogenic diet has a plentiful importance in treating various types of clinical conditions,the most important role of ketogenic diet is childhood epilepsy.

Writings as early as the middle ages discuss the use of fasting as a treatment for seizures.

The early 1900's saw the use of a total fasting as a treatment for seizures in children. However fasting cannot be sustained indefinitely and only controls seizures as long as the fast is continued .

Due to problem with extended fasting, early nutrition researchers looked for a way to mimic starvation ketosis, while allowing food consumption.

Research determined that a diet high in fat,low in carbohydrate and providing the minimal protein needed to sustain growth could maintain starvation ketosis for long periods of time.

This led to the development of the original ketogenic diet for epilepsy in 1921 by wilder. The ketogenic diet as developed by Wilder is identical to the diet being used in 1998 to treat childhood epilepsy.

The ketogenic diet fell into obscurity during the 30's,40's,and 50's as new epilepsy drugs were discovered.

In 1994 ,the ketogenic diet as a treatment for epilepsy was essentially 'rediscovered' in the story of Charlie. Charlie's seizures were completely controlled as long as he was on the diet.

Other clinical condition:

Epilepsy is arguably the medical condition that has been treated the most with ketogenic diet.

However, preliminary evidence suggests that the ketogenic diet may have other clinical uses including respiratory failure, certain types of pediatric cancer.

Obesity:

Ketogenic diet have been used for weight loss for atleast a century, making occasional appearances into the dieting mainstream.

In the early 70's an alternative approach to starvation was developed,termen the Protein Spa ring Modified Test (PSMV).

The PSMV provided high quality protein at levels that would prevent most of the muscle loss without disrupting the purported beneficial effects of starvation ketosis which included appetite suppression and an almost total reliance on bodyfat and ketones to fuel the body.

It is still used to treat severe obesity but must be medially supervised.

At this time other researchers were suggesting low carbohydrate diets as treatment for obesity based on the simple fact that individuals tended to eat less calories when carbohydrates were restricted to 50 grams per day or less .

The largest increase in public awarness of the ketogenic diet as a fat loss due to "Dr.Atkins Diet Revolution"in the early 1970's.

For a variety of reasons most likely related to the unsupported claims Atkins made ,his diet openly criticized by the American Medical Association and the ketogenic diet fell back into obscurity.

Recently there has been a resurgence in low carbohydrate diets including"Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution" and "Protein Power" by the Eades but these directs are aimed primarily at the typical American dieter, not athletes

Ketogenic diets and body builders/athletes:

Low carbohydrates diet were used quite often in the early years of bodybuilding.

As ketogenic diets have recenterd the diet arena in the 1990's modified ketogenic diets have been introduced for athletes, primarily bodybuilders.These include so called cyclical ketogenic diets such as "The Anabolic Diet" and "Bodyopus".

In the early 1990's Dr. Mauro DiPasquale,introduced "TheAnabolic Diet".

A few years later , bodybuilding expert Dan Duchaine released the book "Underground Bodyopus: Militant Weight Loss and Recomposition".

However,"Bodyopus"left many questions unanswered as evidenced by the numerous questions appearing in magazines and on the internet. While Duchaine's ideas were accepted to a limited degree by the bodybuilding subculture.