Principles of the Keto Diet Have Been Used to Treat Epilepsy for Centuries, Does It Actually Work?

• The classic ketogenic diet. 80% to 90% of calories come from fat, 10% from protein, and the rest are from carbohydrates such as fruits or vegetables.
• The medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) diet. The diet uses MCT oils naturally found in palm and coconut oil as well as human, cow, and goat milk. This diet allows for a bit more carbohydrates.
• The Atkins diet is less restrictive but has a greater likelihood of adherence by adolescents and adults.
• The low glycemic index diet allows for more carbohydrates as long as they have a low glycemic index, meaning they don't raise the body's blood sugar too quickly. Foods well suited to this diet includes strawberries, lentils, and whole-grain breads.

Analyzed studies show that children with epilepsy who adhere to a ketogenic diet were three times more likely to be seizure-free and six times more likely to have a 50% reduction in seizure frequency when compared to usual dietary care.

Despite strong evidence of its efficacy, a mechanism to clearly explain the keto diet's benefit remains unclear to researchers.

The ketogenic diet is becoming a proven treatment for epilepsy. But there is also evidence that it may be helpful for other medical conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and glioblastoma multiforme, a type of aggressive brain cancer. Conditions such as metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obesity, chronic migraines, traumatic brain injury, dementia, Parkinson's, autoimmune disorder, mental health, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and much more are anecdotally benefiting from the ketogenic diet.

However, caution is advised. Side effects include kidney stones, low bone density, weight loss, low blood sugar, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Certain rare metabolic disorders can be made worse on this diet.