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 free3-7.

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.

"For many decades, there were many doctors who told families they didn’t believe in it and that it was too difficult to adhere to."

Eric Kossoff, professor of neurology and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

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 trials11-13.

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.

  1. Wilder, R M. The effect of ketonemia on the course of epilepsy. s.l. : Mayo Clinic Bull. 1921: 2: 307. 
  2. Kwan P et al. Early identification of refractory epilepsy. N Engl J Med 2000:342;314-319 
  3. Freeman J et al. The ketogenic diet: a treatment for epilepsy in children and others. 2007. 4th ed. Demos, New York. 
  4. Neal EG et al. Lancet Neurol 2008;7:500-506. 
  5. Keene DL. Ped Neurol. 2006;35(1):1-3. 
  6. Henderson GB et al. J Child Neurol 2006;21 (3):193-198. 
  7. Kossoff EH et al. Epilepsia 2009:febr50(2)304-317. 
  8. Data on file 
  9. Food for thought: The ketogenic diet as epilepsy treatment // International League Against Epilepsy (ilae.org)
  10.  Levy R, Cooper P. Update in Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;3:CD001903 
  11.  Neal EG et al. Lancet Neurol 2008;7:500-506. 
  12.  Henderson GB et al. J Child Neurol 2006;21 (3):193-198. 
  13.  Kossoff EH et al. Epilepsia 2009:febr50(2)304-317.

Epilepsy

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder, with the World Health Organization estimating prevalence at around 1% of the global population.

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Purple Day for epilepsy

March 26 marks the ‘Purple Day for epilepsy’ an annual effort to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide.

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