#230 - How the ketogenic diet may work as a medical therapy for various conditions such as migraine, epilepsy, mental health issues, and more | Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino

Sep 14, 2023

Guest

Denise Potter

Guest

Dominic D’Agostino

Guest

Beth Zupec-Kania

Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the benefits of the ketogenic diet as a medical therapy for various conditions, customizing keto for dietary preferences, easing into the change with a pre-keto diet, and reducing or eliminating medications under supervision. They explore nutrient intake improvement, customization of the diet, the impact on brain functioning, and the uniqueness of the ketogenic diet. They also share experiences with fermented dairy, personal diets, ketone supplements, and discuss integrating the diet with medications for conditions such as bipolar disorder and epilepsy.

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ANECDOTE

Charlie's Keto Success

Jim Abrahams' son, Charlie, had severe epilepsy (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome).
A ketogenic diet dramatically improved Charlie's condition, leading to a seizure-free life.

INSIGHT

Keto as Last Resort

Many successful mental health cases involve individuals desperate for solutions, willing to try restrictive diets.
These individuals often find relief with keto after other treatments fail.

ADVICE

Pre-Keto Diet

Try eliminating gluten and processed foods as a precursor to a full ketogenic diet.
This approach, inspired by the Modified Atkins Diet, can be surprisingly effective.

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The ketogenic diet is often used as a tool for weight loss and to improve metabolic health. However, it is increasingly being considered, studied, and used as a medical therapy for chronic physical and mental health conditions, and it can be tailored to patients’ specific needs. Beth Zupec-Kania, Denise Potter, and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the benefits of the ketogenic diet, how they customize keto for patients with dietary preferences like veganism, how to ease into the change with a pre-keto diet, and how the keto diet may be able to help people reduce or eliminate medications under the supervision of medical professionals.

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🎙 What Beth Zupec-Kania, RDN, CD; Denise Potter, RDN, CDCES; and Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss:

(14:50) — Using the ketogenic diet as therapy for various conditions

(27:49) — Eating a ketogenic diet often helps people improve their nutrient intake

(29:39) — The ketogenic diet can be customized to fit a person’s needs

(33:42) — Medium-chain triglycerides can help increase fat intake

(35:32) — Gluten is inflammatory

(38:18) — Beth encourages patients to do a pre-keto program

(46:12) — Looking at macros on keto

(48:24) — A ketogenic diet can drive metabolic health changes

(57:49) — The benefits of the ketogenic diet that go beyond weight loss

(1:22:00) — Can keto help people reduce their medications?

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