A seizure is a disruption of your brain's electrical signaling processes that can produce convulsions, loss of consciousness and a variety of other effects. If you experience two or more seizures, you may have a disorder called epilepsy. When medication is unsuccessful in controlling epilepsy, people with the disorder sometimes go on a special seizure-control diet called the ketogenic diet.
Basics
The ketogenic diet gets its name because it makes your body produce substances called ketones. Ketones form when you burn fat as your primary source of energy instead of carbohydrate-derived glucose, which normally provides most of your energy. To get your body to run on fat, the ketogenic diet strictly controls your intake of carbohydrates and protein, while strongly emphasizing your intake of various forms of fat, including olive and canola oils, mayonnaise, butter and heavy whipping cream. While both children and adults can benefit from these restrictions, doctors usually only prescribe the diet for children.
Diet Aspects
When you rely primarily on fat for energy, your body reacts as if you're starving, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. No one knows exactly why this mimicking process reduces the incidence of seizures in some people. However, one theory links reduced seizure activity to the presence of a ketone-related byproduct called beta-hydroxybutyrate. Because of the restrictions required to produce a beneficial effect, people on a ketogenic diet are typically closely supervised by both a doctor and a registered nutritionist.
Types of Seizures
Seizures come in two basic forms: generalized seizures --- which trigger electrical disturbances throughout the brain --- and partial or focal seizures, which affect only part of the brain. Children with types of generalized seizures called atonic and myoclonic seizures tend to benefit from ketogenic diets, Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare reports. The diet typically proves less effective in children with focal seizures. Specific forms of epilepsy shown to respond well to a ketogenic diet include Dravet syndrome, Rett syndrome, infantile spasms, tuberous sclerosis complex, GLUT-1 deficiency and Doose syndrome.
Results and Considerations
A ketogenic diet completely stops seizure activity in roughly 30 percent of children, according to Gillette Children's. Another 30 percent of children experience reductions in the intensity, frequency and duration of their seizures. In the remainder of cases, the diet does not provide sufficient benefit to justify its continuation. Epilepsy.com reports more modest results for the diet, with a seizure-free success rate of anywhere from 10 percent to 15 percent. Typically, children on a ketogenic diet continue to take epilepsy drugs, although they can often lower their dosages or use fewer medications.
Potential long-term side effects of the diet include high cholesterol, constipation, dehydration, kidney stones, bone fractures and delayed weight gain or body growth. If seizure activity is well-controlled for two years, doctors may recommend a gradual ending of the diet and a return to normal eating patterns.
References
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Seizures and Epilepsy; Hope Through Research; May 2004
- Epilepsy.com: Ketogenic Diet
- Epilepsy Foundation: Treatment Options; Ketogenic Diet; What the Diet Does
- Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare: About Seizures and Epilepsy
- Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare: Ketogenic Diet
