Ketogenic Diet

A ketogenic diet is a strict diet that is rich in fats and low in carbohydrates. The diet causes the body to break down fats rather than carbohydrates to survive, a condition known as ketosis. Research has shown that some children who maintain this diet may experience fewer seizures. It is not yet known how a ketogenic diet controls seizures, but researchers are studying this relationship in the hopes of developing new seizure-inhibiting drugs.

 

What Is the Ketogenic Diet?

Studies have shown that, in some cases, children with epilepsy may experience fewer seizures if they maintain a strict diet rich in fats and low in carbohydrates. This diet, called the ketogenic diet, causes the body to break down fats instead of carbohydrates for energy (a condition known as ketosis). With ketosis, the body creates high levels of ketones, which besides providing energy for the body may control epilepsy symptoms (this is one of the theories behind why the diet works).
 
The ketogenic diet is not without controversy. This is because healthcare providers are not exactly sure how the diet works, there have not been any large studies to verify how successful it really is, and it can be difficult to maintain.
 

Who Does the Ketogenic Diet Benefit?

The ketogenic diet dates back to the early 1920s, before there were effective epilepsy medications available. But, because there are now other epilepsy treatments available, the ketogenic diet is often only recommended in children with severe epilepsy symptoms that do not respond to several different seizure medications.
 
One of the most common types of epilepsy (see Epilepsy Types) for which this diet may be recommended is Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. The ketogenic diet is not usually recommended for adults.
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD