Ketogenic diet: a promising alternative nonpharmacology treatment for pediatric epilepsy

Abstract

Epilepsy is a syndrome of brain dysfunction induced by the aberrant excitability of certain neurons. Despite advances in surgical technique and anti-epileptic drug in recent years, recurrent epileptic seizures remain intractable and lead to a serious morbidity in the world. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a nonpharmacologic treatment that has been used for refractory epilepsy since 1921. The KD is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, and restricted protein diet, which is calculated and weighed for each individual patient. The goal of the KD treatment is to bring the brain into a state of ketosis to control seizures. Many studies have shown that ketogenic diet was very useful in controlling refractory epilepsy.