The First Keto Diet: Who Pioneered It?

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as the keto diet, is a popular weight-loss strategy that has been around since at least the 1860s. The diet is designed to force the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. While the keto diet has become synonymous with weight loss in recent years, its origins lie in the treatment of epilepsy. The diet was first discovered in the 1860s by a Victorian-era funeral director named William Banting, who lost a significant amount of weight by eliminating starches and sugars from his diet. Banting's story sparked interest in the potential weight-loss benefits of a keto diet, and in the 1920s, the diet gained traction as a treatment for epilepsy. Since then, the keto diet has undergone a resurgence, with consumers expressing renewed interest in weight loss and dieting. Today, the keto diet is not only used for weight loss but is also explored for its potential benefits in treating various health conditions.

The keto diet was first discovered by a funeral director in 1862

Banting's weight loss journey began in his mid-60s, after three decades of failed attempts at losing weight. He had led an active life, even trying rowing for a few hours every morning to lose weight, but nothing seemed to work. It was only when he found a doctor who "prescribed a certain diet" that he was able to shed the pounds. Banting's diet was remarkably similar to the modern keto diet, which is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet designed to force the body into a state of ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy.

Banting's success led him to believe that neither the public nor the medical community properly understood obesity. To share his method with others, he wrote a booklet in 1863 called "Letter on Corpulence, Addressed to the Public," in which he described his daily meal plan and how the diet made him feel. The booklet became a bestseller, with over 63,000 copies sold in the UK alone in the 1860s. Banting's story and the popularity of his booklet helped to spread the idea of a low-carb, high-fat diet, which was hundreds of years ahead of its time.

While Banting is credited with discovering the keto diet for weight loss in the 19th century, it's important to note that the idea of a low-carb, high-fat diet has been used for other purposes, such as treating epilepsy, for much longer. Ancient Greek physicians advocated for restricting diets to treat diseases like epilepsy, and fasting was considered an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. In the early 20th century, doctors began experimenting with modified fasts and diets that eliminated starches and sugars to treat epilepsy. In the 1920s, Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic created the ketogenic diet as a way to mimic the metabolism that fasting produces, marking the birth of the keto diet as a medical treatment.

Dr Wilder at the Mayo Clinic created the ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that puts the body in a state of ketosis, where it burns fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. While the term "ketogenic" was not used until the 20th century, the idea of fasting for health benefits has been around since ancient times. Ancient Greek physicians advocated for fasting to treat diseases like epilepsy, and fasting was considered an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

The ketogenic diet was first introduced as a treatment for epilepsy in the 1920s. For two decades, this therapy was widely used and effective. However, with the development of modern anti-epileptic drug treatments in the 1930s, the use of the ketogenic diet declined. By the end of the twentieth century, this therapy was only available in a small number of children's hospitals.

It wasn't until the 1970s that the ketogenic diet was rediscovered, this time as a weight-loss strategy. In 1972, Dr Robert Atkins published his first diet book, "Dr Atkins' Diet Revolution", which centred on eating fat and very few carbohydrates to induce ketosis. This put the high-fat, low-carb way of eating on the map and marked the beginning of the "low-carb craze".

Today, the ketogenic diet is primarily known as a weight-loss strategy, although it continues to be used as a treatment for epilepsy and other neurological disorders. The diet has gained a lot of popularity, with many people choosing it for its weight-loss benefits and potential health improvements.

The diet became a mainstream treatment for epilepsy

The ketogenic diet was first introduced in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy. The diet was designed to mimic the metabolism of fasting, which had been used to treat epilepsy since at least 500 BC. Ancient Greek physicians, including Hippocrates, advocated for fasting as a treatment for epilepsy and other health problems.

In the early 1900s, a French study found that epilepsy patients who consumed low-calorie diets combined with periods of fasting experienced fewer seizures and had fewer adverse health effects from the condition. Around the same time, an American osteopathic physician named Hugh Conklin began to recommend fasting to his epileptic patients, with a success rate of 50% for adults and 90% for children.

However, fasting is meant to be temporary, and patients found that their seizures returned once they resumed their regular diet. This led doctors to experiment with modified fasts that focused on eliminating starches and sugars rather than restricting all calories.

Dr. Russell Wilder at the Mayo Clinic observed that certain epilepsy patients had fewer seizures when their blood sugar was lowered by eating a high-fat, low-carb diet. He created the ketogenic diet as a way to mimic the metabolism of fasting. The diet became the main pediatric epilepsy treatment for many years.

The ketogenic diet was designed to keep patients in a fasted state indefinitely by limiting their carbohydrate intake so that their bodies burned fat instead of glucose. This shift in dietary ratio removed sugar from the bloodstream and triggered the body to consume ketone bodies, a type of acid, instead. By following the ketogenic diet, patients could be kept in a metabolically fasted state even while consuming enough calories and nutrition to remain comfortable.

Another Mayo Clinic physician, Dr. Peterman, standardized the diet into the "`classic keto`" approach that is still followed today. This approach advocates for a 4:1 ratio of fat to protein and carbs, with 90% of calories coming from fat, 6% from protein, and 4% from carbs.

The ketogenic diet was a successful treatment for epilepsy, but it was pushed aside in the following decades as anticonvulsant drugs were developed and became mainstream. As the diet became less popular, fewer dieticians were trained in its use, leading to incorrect implementation and spreading the idea that it was ineffective.

However, in the 1990s, the ketogenic diet regained mainstream attention, largely due to a 1994 episode of the TV show Dateline that reported on the case of a two-year-old boy with severe epilepsy whose seizures were controlled by the ketogenic diet. This triggered an explosion of scientific interest in the diet, and it once again became a viable option for treating epileptic patients.

The diet's popularity declined with the advent of anticonvulsant drugs

The ketogenic diet was introduced in the 1920s as a treatment for epilepsy. For two decades, this therapy was widely used, but with the advent of modern anticonvulsant drug treatments, its use declined dramatically.

The ketogenic diet is still used as a "first-line" treatment for certain types of epilepsy, especially in children with difficult-to-control seizures. It is often initiated in patients who are already on one or more anticonvulsant medications. The diet is also used in conjunction with other non-pharmacologic therapies, such as the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS).

The ketogenic diet is a broadly effective treatment for medically refractory epilepsy. It is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and adequate-protein diet that includes various recipes. The classical ketogenic diet consists of long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), usually applied in a ratio of 4:1 or 3:1 of fat to non-fat (protein and carbohydrates).

Despite its effectiveness, the ketogenic diet fell out of favour when modern anticonvulsant drugs were introduced. By the end of the twentieth century, the ketogenic diet was only available in a small number of children's hospitals. However, in recent years, there has been a resurgence in the use of the ketogenic diet, and scientific interest in its potential benefits has grown.

The keto diet was reborn in the 1970s with the focus on weight loss

The keto diet was reborn in the 1970s with a focus on weight loss. In 1972, Robert Atkins, a cardiologist, published a book called 'Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution', detailing his years of medical research on low-carb dieting for weight loss and heart health. This was the first time the high-fat/low-carb way of eating was popularised.

In 1976, a diet called the Last Chance Diet took off. Created by osteopath Robert Linn, it required adherents to drink a fat- and protein-rich concoction until they lost their desired amount of weight. However, this diet lacked the necessary vitamins and minerals, and it was found to be dangerous, causing the deaths of at least 60 people.

In 1977, a physician and scientist, Dr. Phinney, authored 'The Last Chance Diet', a book promoting a fat and protein drink diet that he had developed. Unfortunately, this drink also lacked the necessary minerals, and people became sick. However, in 1988, Phinney created a new diet, this time with the necessary minerals included. Called The Optifast Diet, it was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey, and keto research picked up.

In 1990, an NBC TV show aired an episode about the positive outcome of the ketogenic diet on a two-year-old boy suffering from severe seizures. This triggered a big spike in PubMed publications relating to keto, and a renewed interest in the diet. In 1992, an update of Dr. Atkins' 1972 book was published, called 'Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution'. This inspired other doctors to publish dieting books based on similar low-carb principles and marked the beginning of the "low-carb craze".

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