Low-carb diet reduces seizures for people with drug-resistant epilepsy

1 year ago 100

A proceedings of 160 radical recovered that pairing modular epilepsy therapies with a low-carbohydrate fare reduced seizures by much than 50 per cent successful a 4th of participants

Health 4 January 2023

By Grace Wade

Pairing a low-carbohydrate diet with emblematic epilepsy medications tin trim seizures successful radical with drug-resistant epilepsy by 50 per cent.

Using low-carb diets to dainty epilepsy began about a period ago but fell retired of favour erstwhile anti-seizure medications were developed. However, astir a 3rd of the astir 50 cardinal people worldwide with epilepsy don’t respond to these drugs.

Manjari Tripathi astatine All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and her colleagues recruited 160 radical betwixt 10 and 55 years aged who had much than 2 seizures a period contempt utilizing astatine slightest 3 anti-seizure medications astatine maximum doses. The researchers advised fractional of them to travel a modified Atkins diet, which consists of eating lone 20 grams of carbohydrates a day, drastically cutting down connected the 275 grams recommended for big regular depletion nether US dietary guidelines. All participants continued modular epilepsy drugs. Caregivers tracked seizures and meals utilizing a regular log, and participants completed a quality-of-life questionnaire earlier and aft the study.

After six months, much than 26 per cent of those connected the low-carb fare saw monthly seizures reduced by much than 50 per cent compared to the period earlier the trial. The aforesaid was existent for lone 2.5 per cent of the power group. The low-carb radical besides reported importantly greater improvements successful prime of life, connected average, compared to the power group.

Low-carbohydrate diets trim seizures by inducing ketosis, which is erstwhile the body burns fat arsenic its superior fuel, says Tripathi. There are many imaginable mechanisms for wherefore this improves epilepsy including changes successful the gut microbiome, inflammation and electrical signalling betwixt neurons, she says.

Mackenzie Cervenka astatine Johns Hopkins University successful Maryland says it is encouraging to spot that the modified Atkins fare tin beryllium an effectual treatment. Prior studies to dainty epilepsy with fare often usage the ketogenic diet, which requires calculating the ratio of carbs to fats successful each foods. “That tin beryllium a batch much clip consuming,” says Cervenka, meaning less radical instrumentality to it. “The modified Atkins fare is little rigorous with respect to mentation and monitoring,” she says.

Journal reference: Neurology, DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000206776

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