Tag: Keto origins

The modern ketogenic diet, known as keto, was first developed for a medical purpose, not weight loss. Its name was coined almost a century ago by a Mayo Clinic physician who was seeking a therapeutic alternative to fasting for treating epilepsy. This historical context sheds light on the scientific reasoning behind its unique name.

The ketogenic diet was not originally designed for weight loss, but rather as a medical treatment for a neurological condition. This high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen was first developed in the 1920s at the Mayo Clinic to help control seizures in children with epilepsy, building upon the metabolic effects of fasting.