Cultural challenges in using the ketogenic diet in Asian countries

Abstract

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet that has been used for intractable childhood epilepsy since the early 1920s. After the resurgence of the KD since the mid 1990s in the United States, there has been a dramatic increase in its use worldwide. The increasing use of this diet in Asia is not an exception. However, since carbohydrates are considered to be a main dietary composition of Asians, there has been some limitation on the rapid adaptation of KD. This summary will give a brief review on current state, limitations, and efforts to provide a successful KD in Asia. © 2008 International League Against Epilepsy.