Abstract
The ketogenic diet (KD) is a type of diet in which the intake of fats significantly increases at the cost of carbohydrates while maintaining an adequate amount of proteins. This kind of diet has been successfully used in clinical therapies of drug-resistant epilepsy, but there is still insufficient evidence on its safety when used in pregnancy. To assess KD effects on the course of gestation and fetal development, pregnant females were fed with: (i) KD during pregnancy and lactation periods (KD group), (ii) KD during pregnancy replaced with ND from the day 2 postpartum (KDND group) and (iii) normal diet alone (ND group). The body mass, ketone and glucose blood levels, and food intake were monitored. In brains of KD-fed females, FTIR biochemical analyses revealed increased concentrations of lipids and ketone groups containing molecules. In offspring of these females, significant reduction of the body mass and delays in neurological development were detected. However, replacement of KD with ND in these females at the beginning of lactation period led to regainment of the body mass in their pups as early as on the postnatal day 14. Moreover, the vast majority of our neurological tests detected functional recovery up to the normal level. It could be concluded that the ketogenic diet undoubtedly affects the brain of pregnant females and impairs the somatic and neurological development of their offspring. However, early postnatal withdrawal of this diet may initiate compensatory processes and considerable functional restitution of the nervous system based on still unrecognized mechanisms.
Highlights
A ketogenic diet is a type of low-carbohydrate diet with moderate protein restriction and no restriction on fats as a result of which leading the body into a state of ketosis (Kirkpatrick et al 2019; Gzieło et al 2020)
Due to the numerous reports related to fetal development and neurogenesis during ketogenic diet therapy, we examined how the ketogenic diet, applied during pregnancy and lactation periods, affects the biochemical composition of maternal brain and neurological development of pups originating from the affected females
In the group of ketogenic diet (KD)-fed females, the daily food intake was significantly lower than in those fed with normal diet (ND) (p < 0.00002, Fig. 3a), but this relation was quite opposite in terms of the caloric intake, which was significantly higher in KD-fed females (p < 0.000001, Fig. 3b)
Summary
A ketogenic diet is a type of low-carbohydrate diet with moderate protein restriction and no restriction on fats as a result of which leading the body into a state of ketosis (Kirkpatrick et al 2019; Gzieło et al 2020). When carbohydrates are eliminated from the diet, the energy comes from fatty acid oxidation generating the amount of acetyl-Co molecules sufficient for the synthesis of acetylacetic acid in the liver. It can be spontaneously transformed into acetone or enzymatically transformed into beta-hydroxybutyric acid (ketone bodies, BHB).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
