ketogenic diet

American  

[kee-toh-jen-ik dahy-it] / ˌki toʊˈdʒɛn ɪk ˈdaɪ ɪt /

noun

ketogenic diets plural

1. a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet that causes the breakdown of fats into ketone bodies, which consequently replace carbohydrates as the body’s main source of energy: used as a regimen for weight loss, the ketogenic diet is also used to control certain medical disorders or episodes, especially epileptic seizures in children.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ketogenic diets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ketogenic diet

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ketogenic diet

The ketogenic diet gets its name from ketosis, a metabolic state in which the body switches from using sugar as its main fuel to burning fat.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 9, 2026

The secretary also recently declared that the ketogenic diet can cure schizophrenia, a fringe idea that has been rejected by every expert in the field.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026

The animals were assigned to one of four diets: a high-fat Western diet, a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet, a traditional ketogenic diet where nearly all calories came from fat, and a protein-matched low-fat diet.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026

The study appears in Science Advances under the title "A long-term ketogenic diet causes hyperlipidemia, liver dysfunction, and glucose intolerance from impaired insulin secretion in mice."

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026

The ketogenic diet is built around extremely high fat intake and very limited carbohydrates.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 27, 2026