Ketogenic Diet Research Paper

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The Effects of a Ketogenic Diet: Obesity, Autism, and Diabetes Could there be a way to burn fat that is stored in the cells of the human body without feeling hungry? Is there a way to decease behaviors in people with Autism Spectrum Disorder? What if a diet alone could reverse Type II Diabetes? There is one diet that is having effects on all of these health issues called the Ketogenic Diet. The Ketogenic Diet has shown various benefits to the human body, including weight loss, improved behavior in children with autism, and improved insulin absorption in those with Type II Diabetes.
A Ketogenic Diet is composed of eating a very low amount of carbohydrates (less than 20 grams per day), an adequate amount of protein, and a high amount of healthy fats. By consuming a diet of these portions, the body is depleted of its number one energy source,
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An assessment of these skills in someone with ASD can be done by using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2). “ADOS assesses communication, reciprocal social interaction, imagination/creativity, and stereotyped behaviors and restricted interests using a standardized protocol of observation of a series of semistructured tasks” (Kuhfeld & Sturm, 2018, p. 656). By using this assessment tool, researchers can assess people with ASD before starting a Ketogenic diet and after. Positive effects on children with ASD by eating a Ketogenic Diet have been seen in resent research. In a 2018 study, there was over a 30% decrease in the ADOS-2 total score of six out of fifteen children who were placed on a modified gluten-free Ketogenic diet (Lee et al., p. 205). This is a significant improvement in behaviors in children with ASD. Incorporating a Ketogenic Diet into the lives of people with ASD, may help ease behaviors that interrupt them from living their