The Therapeutic Role of Ketogenic Diet in Neurological Disorders
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review evaluating mechanisms and evidence without systematic methodology or primary human trial data.
OpenAlex W4229369385 · doi:10.3390/nu14091952
What was done
This narrative review synthesized literature evaluating the therapeutic potential and mechanistic pathways of the ketogenic diet (a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, adequate-protein diet) as an adjuvant treatment for epilepsy, depression, migraine, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical findings, sample sizes, or quantitative effect estimates. It qualitatively describes potential mechanisms, including regulation of pro- and antioxidant balance, modulation of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, reduction of inflammation, and alterations in the gut microbiome.
Why it matters
It outlines the biological and clinical rationale for using metabolic dietary interventions alongside standard therapies for difficult-to-treat or drug-resistant neurological disorders.
Limits
The paper is a non-systematic narrative review providing no quantitative synthesis, effect sizes, risk-of-bias assessment, or patient sample totals in the abstract. Clinical efficacy, safety, tolerability, and long-term dietary compliance across specific patient populations were not quantified.
Cited by
- supports The Mayo Clinic developed the ketogenic diet in 1921 as a treatment for epilepsy.