Keto Diet— Especially Meat And Fat —Could Reduce Epilepsy Seizures, UCLA Study Finds
The trendy keto diet could treat epilepsy by boosting good bacteria, according to new research reported by the New Scientist.
Experiments in mice found its anti-seizure effect comes from changes to the gut microbiome.
A low-carb, high-fat diet has been used to combat the life-threatening condition for around a century.
It involves cutting out foods like bread and pasta and replacing them with plenty of meat and dairy.
Now scientists have identified the biological mechanism behind the phenomenon.
The late Queen Elizabeth II was said to be a fan of the keto diet. Celebrities who follow it include Halle Berry, Kourtney Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow and Megan Fox.
“Some concerns were raised about potential negative impacts on bone health due to reduced calcium intake from dairy products,” said Dr. Bassam Zeina, a private medical doctor in the UK who also focuses on nutrition. “Overall, this groundbreaking study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of alternative therapies for childhood epilepsy while also highlighting areas for further investigation and improvement.”
“The gut microbiome modulates seizure susceptibility and the anti-seizure effects of the ketogenic diet (KD) in animal models,” said lead author Professor Elaine Hsiao, a professor ofBiological Sciences at UCLA. “But whether these relationships translate to keto diet therapies for human drug-resistant epilepsy is unclear. We find it shifts the function of the gut microbiome in children with epilepsy.”
“Together, these findings reveal key microbial functions and biological pathways that are altered by clinical keto diet therapies for pediatric refractory epilepsy and further linked to microbiome-induced alterations in brain gene expression and seizure protection in mice.”
The team collected stool samples from ten pediatric patients the day before and a month after they began the keto diet.
They were freeze-dried and fed mice on a regular diet – with half receiving pre-keto samples and the others post-keto samples.
All the animals were given antibiotics to deplete their existing gut microbiome, so only bacteria in the samples could colonize their guts.
The researchers used electrical stimulation to induce seizures. Mice that consumed the post-keto samples needed about 22 percent more stimulation, on average, before a fit occurred.
“This indicated the diet protects against seizures by altering the gut microbiome,” Professor Hsiao said.
Analysis of stool samples from both the children and mice showed the keto diet was associated with differences in 20 byproducts of digestion called metabolites.
“The keto diet has been shown to have adverse effects on a child’s growth and development,” said Professor Hsiao use of a keto diet on a child can cause dehydration, an imbalance of electrolytes, digestive issues, high cholesterol, and low blood sugar.
These included increases in those related to fat digestion and decreases in kynurenine, which has previously been linked to seizure susceptibility.
Analysis of brain tissue showed that mice in the post-keto group had altered activity of genes related to seizures and brain inflammation.
“However, not all the children in the study benefited from the diet after one month,” Professor Hsiao said about the study. “This could mean they needed to be on the diet for longer. It may also be that the microbiome is just one factor that contributes to seizure protection.”
Produced in association with SWNS Talker
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