The ketogenic diet forepilepsy(KDE) is a special diet that has helped many children and some adults achieve better (or even full)control of their seizures. It’s a first-line treatment for a few specificepilepsy syndromes, such as epilepsy due to mutations in GLUT-1 or pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency.¹

Background

Theketogenic dietfor epilepsy was developed in the 1920s by a Michigan doctor named Hugh Conklin. However, once effective medications were developed, the diet was used less and less frequently.²

It has regained recognition andhas become a standard backup plan for children whoseepilepsy symptomsare difficult to control with medication.¹ With more than 470,000 children living with seizure disorders in the United States (according toCenters for Disease Control and Prevention statistics), it’s an important addition to the arsenal oftreatments for epilepsy.

Researchers are also beginning to see how…