ALSUntangled #63: ketogenic diets

Figures & data

Table 1 Comparison of ketogenic diets by the percentage of calories (from reference (2)).

	% Fat (LCT)	% Fat (MCT)	% Protein	% Carbohydrates
Classic Ketogenic diet	90	0	8.4	1.6
MCT diet	11	60	10	19
Atkins diet	60	0	35	5
Typical American diet	35	0	15	50

Table 2 Table of evidence for ketogenic diets.

	Grade	Explanation
Mechanism	B	In animals, ketogenic diets can favorably alter biomarkers of brain energy production, inflammation, and oxidative stress, and reduce brain glutamate levels
Pre-clinical	C	One flawed study in an ALS mouse model suggests benefits on motor function, weight, and motor neuron counts
Cases	D	2 PALS on PatientsLikeMe reported “moderate” effectiveness but we did not have records to validate their diagnoses or improvements
Trials	U	We found only one completed trial of a ketogenic diet for ALS; the single enrolled patient had stable ALSFRS-R over 28 weeks, but the lack of a control group precludes interpretation
Risks	D	Most patients on ketogenic diets experience side effects and these can be severe

Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketogenic_diet. Accessed August 6, 2021.

 Google Scholar