April 16, 2008

Fatty diet helps against epilepsy

Epilepsy has for many years been treated by drugs, this has a varied amount of success due to the severity of the neurological disorder. In the most severe cases there has been little hope of the patient being to carry out a normal life style and in some cases being hospitalised for long periods of time in not uncommon.

But the medical staff at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London has been using the daily diet to treat some younger patients; the Ketogenic diet is very similar to the world famous Atkins diet which is low carb and high fat. This creates within the body a state called Ketosis, which produces chemical compounds called Ketones.

It is these Ketones which are believed to be a compound that can actually stop the seizures, which are common with many sufferers of epilepsy. In some cases within two weeks there has been a reduction in seizures of 90%, which is enough to make the difference between a normal life and a life of suffering.

Source [Guardian]