A high fat diet is a specific nutritional pattern characterized by a significantly elevated proportion of total daily caloric intake derived from dietary fats, typically ranging from 60% to 80% or more, with a corresponding and deliberate restriction in carbohydrate intake. This macronutrient profile is intentionally designed to shift the body’s primary metabolic state from glucose utilization to fat and ketone body oxidation. It is often employed as a clinical tool for various metabolic, neurological, and weight management interventions.
Origin
The concept of altering macronutrient ratios for therapeutic effect dates back to early 20th-century medicine, specifically the classic ketogenic diet used for managing epilepsy. In modern wellness and endocrinology, the term is primarily associated with dietary strategies aimed at improving insulin sensitivity, promoting fat loss, and inducing a state of nutritional ketosis. It represents a deliberate, controlled manipulation of the metabolic fuel source to achieve specific physiological outcomes.
Mechanism
By severely limiting carbohydrate intake, a high fat diet rapidly depletes liver glycogen stores, leading to a profound reduction in circulating insulin levels. This critical hormonal shift signals the liver to increase the production of ketone bodies from fatty acids via the process of ketogenesis. The body, including the brain, then efficiently utilizes these ketones and fatty acids as its primary energy source, promoting metabolic flexibility and potentially reducing the chronic glucose-insulin burden on the endocrine system.
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