Ketogenic Diet as a recognized option for difficult-to-treat epilepsy

This year marks 100 years of the Ketogenic Diet as a valid option for difficult-to-treat epilepsy¹. With 30-40% of epileptic patients not responding well to epileptic treatment², the ketogenic diet can support patients by reducing the number of seizures or even lead to patients being seizure free^3-7.

There is also an increasing focus on the additional non-seizure-related benefits of the ketogenic diet, such as improvements in cognition, behavior, and overall quality of life, increasingly seen as a relevant part of outcome measures in clinical trials. While most pediatric (and gradually more adult) epilepsy centers offer ketogenic dietary therapies, only 1 in 15 patients⁸ who could benefit are referred for the ketogenic diet today.

There is also an increasing focus on the additional non-seizure-related benefits of the ketogenic diet, such as improvements in cognition, behavior, and overall quality of life, increasingly seen as a relevant part of outcome measures in clinical trials. While most pediatric (and gradually more adult) epilepsy centers offer ketogenic dietary therapies, only 1 in 15 patients⁸ who could benefit are referred for the ketogenic diet today.

Awareness of this treatment is growing as families have started to seek treatments for refractory epilepsy that improves seizure control, and has fewer adverse effects than medications. As a result Neurologists have also begun to gradually recognize the ketogenic diet as a valid treatment option to managing epilepsy⁹.

The ketogenic diet is a high fat, low-carbohydrate diet, which ensures adequate protein for growth. By simulating the metabolism of fasting, a patient on the ketogenic diet will start to derive their energy by burning the fat in the diet, rather than the more common energy source, glucose¹⁰. There are several types of ketogenic diet, for example the frequently prescribed Classical Ketogenic Diet and the Medium-Chain-Triglyceride Diet; the efficacy in seizure reduction of both has been proven in clinical trials^11-13.

Check out the recent webinar on “100 years of Ketogenic Diet in Epilepsy” by one of the leading experts in the area: prof Eric Kossoff on Danone Nutricia Campus [for healthcare professionals only]. 

At Nutricia we support the education of healthcare professionals on how medical ketogenic diet can help people with epilepsy whilst having a positive impact on their quality of life. As Nutricia, we have been at the forefront of ketogenic dietary management of drug resistant epilepsy for over 20 years, supporting and highlighting key research, partnering with experts to provide a wide range of initiatives such as webinars and podcast series. To help administering this dietary regimen, Nutricia offers a wide range of specialized nutritional solutions that are being successfully used in medical ketogenic diet therapies.