The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low carbohydrate diet used to treat difficult to control seizures. The diet has been used in patients who failed multiple medications and continue to have frequent seizures. The ketogenic diet is not experimental and has been used for over seventy years by thousands of patients. Multiple studies have shown that about half of patients tried on the diet will have a 50% reduction in seizures, a third of patients will have a 90% reduction in seizures and approximately 10% of patients become completely seizure free. Seizure medications can be reduced while on the ketogenic diet. Approximately half of people on the diet will respond and the degree of effectiveness of the diet will be known in three months.

The way in which the diet works is unknown. A usual American diet is composed of approximately 50-60% carbohydrates. In comparison, a ketogenic diet consists only of 5% carbohydrates. The body derives energy from the breakdown of carbohydrates. Once carbohydrates are used, the body will metabolize fat for energy. A byproduct of fat metabolism is ketones. It is thought that ketones have an anti-convulsant effect.

The diet requires each meal to be prepared and weighed. The patient’s weight and height are closely monitored while on the diet. Although the diet is high fat, people do not gain weight on the diet because the total calories are based on a person’s ideal body weight. The diet requires close medical follow up and monitoring. The diet is started while in the hospital on a supervised fast.

Other Dietary Treatments

Interest in the ketogenic diet has resulted in looking at alternate, low carbohydrate diets. A modified Atkin’s diet is currently being used in adults with difficult to control epilepsy. The Atkin’s diet was originally designed as a high protein, low carbohydrate diet for weight loss. The modification for use in treatment of epilepsy is the increased content of fat in the diet. Additionally, the low glycemic index treatment (LGIT) is being used for adults who continue to have seizures despite medication. The LGIT is similar to the “South Beach Diet” and while it contains high fat and more variety, a small amount of carbohydrate is also allowed.

Our center is composed of neurologist and epileptologist, Dr. Lola Morgan, registered dietician, Lori Grant, and Terry O’Carroll, licensed vocational nurse.