Epilepsy, Ketogenic Diet The epilepsy diet, also known as a ketogenic diet, is a special diet that is used to treat epilepsy in children who do not respond to medication.
There are often fad diets and alternative, diet based treatments for diseases, but these are poorly researched and only to be used alongside medical treatment, especially for the more serious diseases. The diet for epilepsy, on the other hand, has been developed after thorough and careful research, and has been proven to work in a majority of cases.
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder involving abnormal electrical activity in the brain, the main characteristic of which is sudden, unprovoked seizures. The disorder is chronic, but often is at its peak during childhood, after which it seems to resolve itself.
The main treatment for epilepsy is a variety of medications, and this is usually the most effective and reliable method of treatment. However, in some cases, medication does not work, making it necessary to use other methods. The epilepsy diet was developed almost a century ago, and after more effective medications were discovered, the diet was mostly abandoned.
In recent times however, the epilepsy diet has been explored once again and has been found to be successful in treating epilepsy in some children.
What does the epilepsy diet consist of?
The main feature of the epilepsy diet is that it is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet (with adequate amounts of protein). This is however only a general description — the doctor treating the child needs to calculate the exact amount of fat and carbohydrates that the child needs, based on various factors such as the child’s age, activity levels, and so on. As this indicates, the epilepsy diet is not a home remedy or a do it yourself diet, but needs to be thoroughly planned by the doctor, with inputs from the patient and the patient’s family.
How does the epilepsy diet work?
The epilepsy diet works by forcing the body to use fat as fuel, rather than use carbohydrates. This simulates a situation similar to starvation, and as a by product of certain body processes in this situation, substances known as ketone bodies are created. It is thought that these ketone bodies enter the brain and have a natural anticonvulsant effect.
Does the epilepsy diet have any side effects?
The epilepsy diet does have side effects, which is another reason why it should be undertaken only with medical supervision. Constipation is one rather mild problem that is usually quite easily solved. Cholesterol levels can also go up, but this is not a common occurrence.
A more common side effect of the epilepsy diet is kidney stones, but with proper supervision this can be avoided or at least limited. |
