A metabolic therapy — I’ve had a short Editorial published (2021) in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics that can be accessed here: “The therapeutic potential of ketone bodies in Parkinson’s disease”. It is intended for a scientific readership, however much should be accessible to a general reader. The message is in the title. Essentially, there are reasons to expect that ketones may increase energy availability and be neuroprotective.

Practicalities I’ve learned along the Keto way — Keto bread “I can’t do without bread” is a common and understandable first reaction to a ketogenic diet (KD), and a hurdle to starting for some. Still, I think many people underestimate what they can do. One of the things I decided, early on, was to give up on making low-carb versions…

The potential benefits of a ketogenic diet for brain function — Let’s see what a ketogenic diet (KD) might do for the brain. I will concentrate on two disorders: Epilepsy (in which a KD is an established therapy) and Alzheimer’s disease (in which a KD might be a therapy and our high-carbohydrate diet a contributing cause). …

Its potential as an adjunctive therapy — There is good evidence for the benefit of a ketogenic diet in type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and epilepsy. There is emerging evidence in other neurological disorders (including Alzheimer’s disease) and cancer. I will look at perhaps one of the least expected — cancer. To understand how ketones might help…

Does a keto metabolism impair exercise performance? — It is known that muscles use glucose for energy, so what happens when glucose (carbohydrate) is withdrawn with a ketogenic diet (KD)— can athletes still perform? Endurance and performance Distance runners and other endurance athletes need to carb-load before a race, supplement their glucose supply during the race, and replenish glucose stores after…

A survey of sugar substitutes and their use — Sugar, in its many guises (dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave nectar, fruit etc.), needs to be minimised on a ketogenic diet, or eliminated as far as practicable. This can be a sticking point for those who are used to, or even addicted to, sweet food. As people and health…

What is the difference? — The name carbohydrate derives from ‘hydrated’ carbon (carbon combined with hydrogen/oxygen) — shortened to carbohydrate. However, our dietary carbohydrates are not random combinations of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; there is a basic building block, known as a simple sugar (or monosaccharide), of which carbohydrates are made. …

Animal fats are healthy fats — The simplest method is to accumulate it. That’s how it used to be done, collecting ‘dripping’ from roasts etc in a jar and reusing it. But, this has its limitations — the fat will be flavoured, contain suspended solids and water/gel and may not be suited for the purpose (e.g…

Carb-restricted diets — An example of a low-carbohydrate high-fat (LCHF) ketogenic diet would be one in which about 70% of energy needs (calories) came from fat, 20% from protein and 10% from carbohydrates. When such a carb-restricted diet is followed for 2–4 weeks, the body becomes trained to recognise fat as its main…