Introduction: Very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) is a promising lifestyle intervention for the management of overweight and obesity. It is characterized by a restriction of both calories and carbohydrates, while assuring the adequate proteins, fats and micronutrients intake. Significant results in terms of excess body weight loss have been reported and this strategy considered also in the preoperative settings. Improvements in hypertension, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidemia follows.
Evidence acquisition: PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for papers reporting data on VLCKD as a strategy for the management of overweight, obesity and related disorders in adults.
Evidence synthesis: Four main documents are available in the literature and were included in the present narrative review.
Conclusions: The present review discusses available evidence and provides practical recommendations for the management of VLCKD.