"Ketones are an excellent source of energy, especially for the brain," explains Dr Deacon. "The only time they are harmful is when they are produced in abundance by people with Type 1 diabetes, where you have insufficient insulin and high blood glucose levels known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)."
If you think youve heard of all this before, perhaps under the name the Atkins diet, then youd be right to an extent. Hannah Sutter, founder of the Natural Low Carb Kitchen has been following the keto diet since 2000 and insists that whether its the Dukan diet, the real food revolution or the Atkins diet, they all follow the same rule: your carbohydrate intake must remain below 50 grams per day. "Its a general term", she explains. "Some are a bit more fat, some are less fat, but theyre all basically the same."
However, present-day keto diets have come to emphasise the type of fats you use to replace carbs.On the keto plan, your diet is rich with healthy high fat foods, such as fish, nuts and avocados, whilst avoiding breads, pasta and even fruit. You're also encouraged to keep your protein intake reasonably low about 15-25pc of your overall food intake.Contrary to some early Atkins adopters, you can't get away with eating a burger slathered in BBQ sauce, minus the bun, every night.
