The Keto Diet and Epilepsy Treatment

We keep hearing so much about the Ketogenic Diet, and there’s good reason for that! Being in a state of ketosis (where the body is burning ketones) can have many benefits, from healing chronic illness to improving overall performance. The “keto diet,” as it’s called, was originally studied and used to treat epilepsy. It was proven extremely effective but still not that commonly used until further researched. The ketogenic diet is primarily comprised of fat, moderate amounts of protein, and very little carbohydrate. The diet is called “ketogenic” because it shifts the body’s primary fuel source from burning glucose to burning ketones, which the liver makes as it converts fat into this new fuel source. Ketones are unique because they are one of the only molecules that can cross the blood-brain barrier. This allows ketones to be an alternative fuel source for the brain. 

This special high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet can help to control seizures in some people. The classic “keto diet” used is also called the “long-chain triglyceride diet” and provides 3 to 4 grams of fat for every 1 gram of carbohydrate and protein.  Often, the ketogenic diet is recommended for patients whose seizures have not responded to several different seizure medications. The classic ketogenic diet is not widely recommended due to the limitations making it difficult to follow or stay on. However, the ketogenic diet has been shown in many studies to be particularly helpful for infantile spasms, Rett syndrome, tuberous sclerosis complex, Dravet syndrome, Doose syndrome, and GLUT-1 deficiency. Aside from these epilepsy condition, the diet can also work well for children with focal seizures (seizures that can start in one area or group of cells in one side of the brain). 

With about 90% of calories coming from fat, it’s important that meals are careful planned and prepared. While certain foods and amounts are certainly limited, this diet does not restrict calories and aims to meet the individual’s needs for energy and overall nutrition. The ketogenic diet ratio (ratio of fat to carbohydrate and protein grams combined) can range from 3:1 to 4:1. A 3:1 ratio is typically used for infants, adolescents, and children who require higher amounts of carbohydrate or protein for some other reason. A 4:1 ratio is more strict and is typically used for most children. Common sources of fat for the ketogenic diet range from butter, cheese, heavy whipping cream, and mayonnaise, to healthier fats, including olive and avocado oil, nuts and seeds, avocados and olives, coconut and coconut oil, cacoa nibs, fatty fish, and sometimes full-fat Greek yogurt. 

So does it work? It can and does! Studies have shows that the ketogenic diet reduces or prevents seizures in many children whose seizures could not be controlled by medications. Over half of children who followed a ketogenic diet had at least a 50% reduction in the number of seizures and some children, about 10-15%, even became seizure-free. This diet therapy is extremely effective and, like most medical nutrition therapies, should be used with the help of a registered dietitian who has experience working with these conditions and diets. 

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209323/

https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/treating-seizures-and-epilepsy/dietary-therapies/ketogenic-diet

https://www.epilepsy.com/connect/seizure-and-epilepsy-news/keto-news

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The practitioners at the Center recognize that diet is often the basis for your heath and your potential to heal. Adopting a healthy diet is often the first step towards correcting health problems. Many medical conditions can be treated more effectively when the patient implements specific diets and uses nutritional supplements. These interventions afford fewer complications and side effects than…
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