Low-carb diet halves rate of epileptic seizures

Eating a low-carb Atkins diet reduces the rate of seizures for epilepsy sufferers.

The diet seems to super-charge the effects of anti-epileptic medication, and halves the risk of seizure.  By comparison, those who only take the drug have just a 3 percent reduced risk.

Researchers from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi tested the effects of a modified Atkins diet on 160 epilepsy sufferers who had at least 27 seizures a month, despite being on medication. 

Half were put on modified Atkins—which included a ketogenic diet of soy, heavy cream, butter and oils, leafy green vegetables and eggs, chicken, fish and bacon—for six months and were compared to the rest who carried on taking the drugs without adopting the diet.

The diet didn’t only reduce the rate of seizure. The participants also reported an improved quality of life and behaviour, the researchers found.

Neurology, 2023; 10.1212/WNL.000000000000206776)

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