Ketogenic diets, review of this approach as a treatment for epilepsy and seizures

Ketogenic Diets is such a valuable book that it should be the first point of education for fundamental knowledge for everyone involved with the Ketogenic Diet for epilepsy seizure reduction, parents and professionals alike. It has “saved the lives” of thousands of children with seizures and epilepsy who previously did not respond to traditional treatment with antiepileptic drugs or surgery. Use of the Keogenic diet has brought life and joy back to families who had lost hope for their epileptic son, who, once on the diet, reportedly gradually regained alertness, energy, happiness and missed physical milestones.

All 4 contributing authors of Ketogenic Diets (John Freeman now deceased, January 2014, though his legacy will live on forever) work at Johns Hopkins Hospital and are absolutely eminent and influential in their field, including the use of the Ketogenic Diet to reduce Seizures in situations of refractory epilepsy. His contribution to the lives of so many families is unimaginable.

John Freeman: Pediatric neurologist and ethicist, founding director of the John Hopkins Pediatric Division of Pediatric Neurology, and director of the Birth Defects Clinic.

Eric Kossof: Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, “has dedicated his career to researching and investigating the impact of putting children and adults with epilepsy on a 90% fat diet to control their seizures.”

Zahava Turner: Dietician.

James Rubenstein: neurodevelopmental pediatrician.

Containing up to 90% fat and very little protein or carbohydrates, the concept of this once controversial but surprising diet forces the brain to break down fat to meet the body’s energy needs, due to the absence of the normal source of energy, glucose. . Although recognized as early as the 1920s, it was Freeman who reintroduced this approach to treating refractory epilepsy in the 1980s, adhering to his ethos and resisting professional criticism.

The book clearly states that the ketogenic diet cannot be approached lightly. It requires total commitment and discipline from parents. Meal prep needs are time consuming, precise and constant. Monitoring and supervision of the ketogenic diet by a neurologist and dietitian is essential because, despite surprisingly positive results for 60% of people using the diet, especially children, there are potentially serious side effects that need regular monitoring and constant. It must be the joy of success and the evidence of renewed developmental loss that fuels parents’ determination along this difficult path of strictly adhering to the ketogenic diet.

In its fifth edition, the authors have now included over a decade of scientifically analyzed data as well as exciting current research to explain how the diet works, exactly how it should be used, how and when it can be tweaked with a bit of flexibility (including the modified Atkins diet for epilepsy).

Also included in the book are personal success stories, practical applications, and recipe ideas that span multicultural cuisine and ethnicity. The writing style of Ketogenic Diets is easy for laymen to understand, but with significant detail for professionals, making it highly recommended as a resource for anyone involved with the Ketogenic Diet.