Some Diets Beneficial in Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

A new study showed that a Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) reduces seizure frequency in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy .This research involved 160 patients whose epilepsy was not controlled despite medications. It showed real impact between the participants and the control group: 5% of the participants stopped having any seizure (0% in the control group) and more than a quarter of the participants reduce seizure of more than 50% (2.5% in the control group). The Atkins diet is a low-carbohydrate fad diet devised by Robert Atkins in the 1970s, with "unlimited" consumption of proteins and fat. The MAD is around 65% fat, 25% proteins and only 10% of carbohydrates.

The scientists said that the benefits outweigh cost and one of the advantage of the MAD is that it is quite flexible and can be possible even in low-incomes countries.

The exact mechanism is still unknown but MAD impacts metabolism and influences the inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitter systems in brain.

Source: Safety, Efficacy, and Tolerability of Modified Atkins Diet in Persons With Drug-Resistant Epilepsy: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Online Neurology Journal