The Power of Ketogenic Diets

The ketogenic diet has increasingly become a popular choice for athletes and weight loss, Keto is a very low carbohydrate and high-fat diet which changes the metabolism in the body from burning glucose for energy to burning fat for energy. It’s currently a recognised treatment for intractable (drug-resistant) epilepsy, Glut 1 Deficiency and Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Deficiency. Increasingly the diet is being looked at in other neuro-metabolic conditions as well as Brain Cancer. We speak to Emma Williams MBE – Founder/Trustee and CEO of Matthews Friends, a charity specialising in growing the awareness and growth of a medical ketogenic diet. Emma’s son Matthew started having seizures at the age of 9 months. When Matthew was just 2 years old Emma found out about the Ketogenic Diet but when she asked Matthew’s neurologist to try the diet she was told that it didn’t work, it was disgusting and medication was the best option. Only when Matthew was 7 years old did she finally get the chance to get Matthew onto the diet thanks to the trial that Professor Helen Cross was carrying out at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Within 2 weeks of starting the diet Matthew’s seizures had reduced by 90% and within 8 months he was off all medication. Emma founded the charity Matthew’s Friends in 2004 to share her experiences with others, provide support and promote the use of the ketogenic diet for those suffering from intractable epilepsy. 2013 saw her awarded an MBE from Her Majesty the Queen for her services to Children with Epilepsy. To learn more about Matthews Friends please visit https://www.matthewsfriends.org/ Special thanks to Emma Williams MBE Written and directed by Tom Rowley and Andy Greening Audio engineered and edited by Andy Greening Podcast artwork by Andy Greening Healthy For Men theme song by Premium Beats This episode is in partnership with Bounce Foods Healthy for Men 79 November/December 2018 is available now in Holland & Barrett or order online here Healthy For Men Podumentary is by Healthy For Men magazine which is published by River Group Content Limited 2018