Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy: Benefits, Types & Guidelines

Epilepsy

In the field of epilepsy, diets that aim to produce ketosis are referred to as ketogenic diets.

They are typically prescribed to difficult-to-treat epilepsies including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and infantile spasms.

For these conditions the classical _therapeutic ketogenic diet (TKD)_ involves achieving ketosis through:

- Severe carbohydrate restriction (10 g per day)

- High fat (85-90%) and moderate protein intake (15%)

More liberal, less-restrictive ketogenic diets also exist, such as the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) diet, the modified Atkins diet (MAD) and the low glycemic index treatment (LGIT).

In contrast to the _therapeutic ketogenic diet (TKD)_, these approaches do not typically target ketosis, though this will frequently occur with the _modified Atkins diet (MAD)_ and the _LGIT_.

The benefits and limitations of all of these diets are well-defined in both adults and children.