The ketogenic diet is becoming increasingly popular. It is mainly used to decrease body mass and achieve the desired result(s) instantly. The diet was originally created for medicinal purposes and used as a treatment for children with epileptic seizures, but began to spread quickly because of its efficient way of using the body’s own fats as an alternative source of energy. The ketogenic diet is a high-fat diet that requires a sufficient protein intake, but also focuses on an insufficient intake of carbohydrates (up to 10 %), which our metabolism requires in order to function properly. These recommendations represent the very opposite of what a healthy and balanced diet should be, but the ketogenic diet guarantees a change in our metabolic system, ultimately making the body use fats, instead of carbohydrates, as the main energy source. When that happens, ketone bodies, energy carriers, start forming in the liver and are then transferred into cells outside the liver, which end up using the bodies as an alternative source of energy. The ketogenic diet alters our metabolism in such a way that it begins to use fats instead of carbohydrates, which essentially means that we are taking advantage of the protective mechanisms of our body that naturally occur in the process of starvation. The people who decide to follow this diet should therefore consult a professional nutritionist before incorporating the diet into their lives. Since the ketogenic diet is quickly gaining in popularity, the thesis attempts to give insight into the way the diet works and explores the most common mistakes people make. Additionally, the thesis presents the results of different studies, while also exploring the possible negative side effects, which are rarely explained, or even mentioned, when it comes to most diets. Lastly, the thesis proposes a weekly meal plan that is suitable for anyone who decides to follow the ketogenic diet.
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