Tag: Keto diet history

While now a popular weight-loss trend, the modern ketogenic diet was originally developed in 1921 by Mayo Clinic physician Russell Wilder to treat epilepsy, and he also coined the term 'ketogenic diet'. Understanding when did the keto diet start reveals its deep medical roots, predating its current fame by a century.

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as 'keto,' was originally developed in the 1920s as a medical treatment for children with epilepsy, not as a weight-loss trend. Its modern popularity is the result of nearly a century of research, decline, and eventual revival for broader health and wellness applications.

Developed at the Mayo Clinic in the 1920s by Dr. Russell Wilder, the ketogenic diet was originally prescribed for drug-resistant epilepsy in children. This medical diet was designed to mimic the metabolic state of fasting, which had been anecdotally known to control seizures for centuries.