What is a keto diet?

A ketogenic diet is very high in fats, low in carbs and moderate in protein. A keto breakfast, for example, might involve mixing your coffee with coconut oil, heavy cream and butter, and scrambling eggs with cream cheese, adding a side of smoked salmon for protein. It’s a way of forcing your body to make and rely on ketone bodies, a byproduct of metabolism when a person is not taking in enough carbohydrates. Ketones come from the breakdown of fat when there are not enough carbohydrates to keep the blood glucose within normal limits. Some believe that Alzheimer’s stems from trouble processing glucose, which is typically the brain’s preferred source of fuel. It is known that as we age, less glucose is able to cross the blood-brain barrier in order to fuel the brain. The ketogenic diet provides a way for ketones to take up the energy slack.