Can the keto diet cure epilepsy in children? Scientists from UCLA believe so. A new study is revealing how the high-fat, low-carb diet, typically known for weight loss, may also benefit children with epilepsy. This diet has shown promise in controlling seizures, especially in kids who don’t respond well to traditional anti-seizure medications.
The study delves into the diet’s effect on the human gut microbiome. The gut microbiome consists of trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms residing in the digestive tract. UCLA researchers found that this diet brings about changes in these microorganisms that could protect against seizures, at least in mice.
“Understanding how the function of the microbiome is altered by the diet could aid in the development of new therapeutic approaches that incorporate these beneficial changes while avoiding certain drawbacks of the diet,” says study lead author Gregory Lum, a postdoctoral researcher at UCLA, in a university release.
The research builds on previous findings, which showed that mice bred to mimic epilepsy and fed a ketogenic diet experienced fewer seizures than those on a standard diet. Extending this, Lum examined how the gut microbiome is beneficially altered in children with epilepsy who start ketogenic diet therapy. By transplanting fecal samples from pediatric epilepsy patients on the diet into mice, the study observed that the diet-associated gut microbiota protected the mice against seizures.
The fecal samples were collected from 10 pediatric epilepsy patients, part of UCLA’s Ketogenic Diet Therapy Program, who hadn’t responded to anti-seizure medication. The samples were taken before and after a month on the diet.
Results showed that mice receiving post-diet fecal transplants were more resistant to seizures than those given pre-diet transplants. The study also noted that the ketogenic diet altered key gut microbiome functions in pediatric patients related to fatty acid oxidation and amino acid metabolism. These changes, crucially, were preserved when the fecal matter was transplanted into the mice.
While more research is necessary, Lum expressed optimism about the study’s implications.
“Narrowing down the functions of the microbes that are beneficial toward seizure protection can potentially lead to new ways to enhance the efficacy of the ketogenic diet or to mimic its beneficial effects,” notes Lum.
The study is published in the journal Cell Reports.
5 Potential Benefits of the Keto Diet:
- Weight Loss: One of the most well-known benefits of the keto diet is its effectiveness in helping people lose weight. By reducing carbohydrate intake, the body enters a state of ketosis, where it burns fat for energy instead of glucose, leading to weight loss.
- Improved Blood Sugar Control: For people with Type 2 diabetes or those at risk of developing it, the keto diet can improve blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, due to the low intake of carbs.
- Enhanced Brain Function: Some studies suggest that the keto diet may have neuroprotective effects, potentially improving cognitive function and possibly slowing the progression of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s.
- Improved Heart Health: When followed correctly, the keto diet can lead to a reduction in bad cholesterol (LDL) and an increase in good cholesterol (HDL), potentially lowering the risk of heart disease.
- Potentially Cancer-Fighting: Early research indicates that the keto diet may have anti-tumor effects and could complement traditional cancer treatments, although more research is needed in this area.