Research

Hormonal

A Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) induces rapid weight loss and improves metabolic parameters in obese patients by inducing physiological ketosis, which suppresses appetite and shifts metabolism toward fat oxidation while preserving lean mass.

To use VLCKD, restrict carbs to under 50g/day and calories to ~800/day for 8-12 weeks, using meal replacements and vegetables. This induces ketosis, which naturally suppresses hunger and burns fat while protecting muscle. You must supplement with electrolytes and vitamins. This is a medical therapy, not a casual diet, and requires monitoring. It is specifically for those with obesity and related health issues, not for everyone.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
La VLCKD simula gli effetti del digiuno attraverso una drastica restrizione dell’apporto giornaliero di carboidrati (<50 g/die)... con un apporto calorico totale di circa 800 kcal/die... Si verifica un aumento degli acidi grassi liberi e successivamente, dopo circa 3 giorni, un consistente aumento dei corpi chetonici nel sangue ≥4 mmol/l, valore associato a una netta diminuzione della fame.
Walter Currenti et al. · L Endocrinologo · 2020

Why this rating

The paper is a narrative review/position paper citing other studies, not a primary randomized controlled trial itself.

Source

Very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD): indicazioni ed efficacia nel trattamento dell’obesità

Walter Currenti et al. · L Endocrinologo · 2020

DOI 10.1007/s40619-020-00796-y

narrative_review
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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