Reduce Epileptic Seizures With an Atkins-Based Diet

Recent studies have discovered a link between diet and a reduced number of epileptic seizures. The most recent of studies was published in a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Researchers Report. Dr. Eric H. Kossoff discusses the results of testing 30 adults on a diet similar in nature to the popular Atkins Diet. The stipulations for this research require the subjects to have failed two other forms of anti-convulsive medicated treatment. Other research on children has yielded a success in using diet to help control the number of seizures. An especially successful method is the Ketogenic Diet. The Johns Hopkins study hopes to prove the same type of control is possible for adults.

The research on children utilizing the Ketogenic Diet has been very promising. Not everyone responds to these forms of treatment: the success of these methods is very individual. The Ketogenic Diet must be managed by a medical team especially since most cases deal with children. The diet begins the patient fasting for 24 hours. This claims to use up all of the glucose stored by the body and thus the body turns to its fat stores for energy. The Ketogenic Diet continues this process by forcing the body to continually burn fat. The meals are calculated for a proper balance averaging around 80 percent of calories from fat. The other 20% comes from carbohydrate and protein supplements. During the diet it the amount of anti-seizure medication can often be reduced and depending on progress can lead to independence of the medication. Despite the medical risks associate with this diet plan roughly two thirds of the patients achieve a reduction in the number of seizures. Half of those patients are reported to have become seizure free, or nearly seizure free.

In the same sense as the Ketogenic Diet the Johns Hopkins study put their patients on a diet. The candidates had their meals controlled and restricted to a maximum of 15 grams of carbohydrates per day, leaving most of the calories to come from fatty foods like eggs, meats, oils, and heavy creams. Consumption of protein and carbohydrate free drinks was allowed with no limit. Unfortunately this diet was too strict for many of the candidates and only 20 continued on until the research was complete; however, of the 10 that failed a number did find their seizure count to decrease. Despite the challenge of keeping to the strict diet it seems the side effects due to increased consumption of fats remain mild at worst. At the mid point of the 6 month study one third of the patients reported 50 percent fewer seizures. After the research was completed, 14 of the patients continued on the diet in order to continue keeping control of the seizures.

There are a lot of apparent similarities between the Atkins, Johns Hopkins, and Ketogenic diets; most notably an increased intake of fats while having less of other sources of energy, as well as decrease in glucose intake. The Ketogenic diet limits carbohydrates to less than 20% of the daily intake where the Hopkins study uses a maximum of 15grams per day. It is no surprise that the effects of the two diets yielded similar results since they are so similar. Of course the largest difference is that the Ketogenic diet is calculated and is stricter. While both are hard on your body and mind the Ketogenic one appears to be more life threatening. It seems sticking to these diets is the most challenging aspect of them.

The answer at this time is not definite enough to warrant saying there is a solution to the seizures; however, there is substantial progress. The research is young and has been yielding results at a pleasing rate. Knowing that some children have managed to stop their seizures or reduce their frequency provides great hope. The Johns Hopkins research has shown that the same style of treatment can indeed produce similar results in adult testing. As research continues, people suffering from epilepsy can take comfort that something as simple as an Atkins based diet can possibly help to control the onset of seizures.

Technical information in this article related to the Ketogenic Diet is from the Epilepsy Foundation website on there treatment information pages. Information regarding the new research of Atkins-like diets is drawn from the HealthDay News website.