What Helps Improve Ketogenic Diet Results?

Although the ketogenic diet—cutting out most carbohydrates and instead eating foods high in fat—is known as a treatment for children with epilepsy, it could benefit those suffering traumatic brain injury, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions. While studies suggest it can be effective as a sole treatment, there is emerging data that the ketogenic diet, plus hyperbaric oxygen therapy, may lead to even greater benefits. 

KETOGENIC DIET RESULTS SHOW PROMISE

Even though some may have only recently heard about the ketogenic diet, research into its efficacy spans years.

One 2004 study, published by medical journal and scientific publisher Pulsus and shared by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, specifically examines the ketogenic diet’s effects on obesity, with results indicating positive, long-term outcomes for its 83 participants.

The study states the ketogenic diet “significantly reduced the body weight and body mass index of the patients. Furthermore, it decreased the level of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and blood glucose, and increased the level of HDL cholesterol. Administering a ketogenic diet for a relatively longer period of time did not produce any significant side effects in the patients.”

A 2015 report published by the peer-reviewed journal Multiple Sclerosis International explores the effectiveness of the diet plan on those with the demyelinating disease multiple sclerosis (MS). “The ketogenic diet has the potential to treat the neurodegenerative component of progressive MS” for several reasons, including its ability to increase adenosine triphosphate (ADT) production and “promote mitochondrial biogenesis,” both linked to axonal (nerve) survival.

KETOGENIC DIET PAIRED WITH HBOT SUGGESTS SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS

Though the aforementioned results demonstrate the ketogenic diet's positive health impacts, additional research suggests it could pose even more benefits when in conjunction with the all-natural treatment hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), specifically when it comes to addressing cancer.

HBOT is a non-invasive procedure providing an increased amount of highly pressurized oxygen, boosting blood concentrations of this important element and reaching more injured body tissues in need of healing.

According to a 2015 study, shared by the online medical news provider News Medical, there also appears to be a positive relationship between the ketogenic diet, ketone supplements, HBOT, and metastatic cancer in mice.

“Animals receiving the combination of KD, ketone supplements, and HBOT lived 103 percent longer than mice fed a standard high-carbohydrate diet," it states. "The researchers suggest that their study demonstrates the potential of these non-toxic therapies to contribute to current cancer treatment regimens and significantly improve the outcome of patients with advanced metastatic cancer.”

Health, fitness, fashion and lifestyle web magazine Celebrity Health Fitness discusses this premise further in a 2016 article featuring researcher Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, who holds a Ph.D. in physiology and neuroscience.

“According to Dr. D’Agostino, we are only as healthy as our mitochondria, which are the power sources of all our cells, so if we keep our mitochondria healthy, we can stall the onset of cancer and other age-related chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and heart disease,” it states.

If you are considering trying the ketogenic diet and/or starting HBOT treatments, it’s important to consult with a medical professional beforehand to learn more about benefits, risks, and whether or not it’s right for you.