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The ketogenic diet is gaining traction among Silicon Valley top honchos, which is said to help in rapid weight loss and provide more energy on top of other health benefits. Get to know more about it, here.

What Is It?

The ketogenic diet is the more extreme version of the high fat, low carbohydrate Atkins diet. The new fad is designed to transition the body to use fat as fuel from glucose, which mainly comes from carbohydrates. The main goal is to get almost 80 percent of your needed calories from fat and eat at most 30 grams of carbohydrates per day, CNBC reported.

Originally created for children suffering from epilepsy, the ketogenic diet was formulated in the 1920s to help control seizures and has only recently gained following as a weight loss plan. Since the diet almost does not provide any fuel from carbohydrates, the body is forced to convert fat into energy in a process called ketosis, hence the name. And by using up the fats in the body, those who undergo the ketogenic diet lose weight, KVOA reported.

Who Should Try It?

Proponents of the ketogenic diet believe that while this is not for everybody, the diet plan is great for diabetics. A team of scientists and physicians at Virta conducted a trial run found that 56 percent of the 262 type 2 diabetics who enrolled in the diet program were able to lower their blood glucose levels to ranges that non-diabetics have aside from losing weight.

The side-effects of the diet plan are very mild ranging, from mild headaches and mood swings, to bad breath during the initial days into the program. While it does cause the body to lose weight, nutritionists are cautioning those who want to try this program.

The ketogenic diet is very restrictive, that it makes most people who do try it quit in a few weeks - so nutritionists advise that cutting carbohydrates and incorporating more fat into the diet to optimal levels is still better than going to extremes. Stay tuned for more updates on this diet.