Korean J Pediatr.  2013 Aug;56(8):327-331. 10.3345/kjp.2013.56.8.327.

Lower fat and better quality diet therapy for children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy

• Yoon JR
• Kim HD
• Kang HC

• KMID: 2284804
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3345/kjp.2013.56.8.327

Abstract

The ketogenic diet (KD) is an established, effective, nonpharmacologic treatment for children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. Although the KD is the most well-established dietary therapy for epilepsy, it is too restrictive and is associated with serious complications; therefore, alternative lower-fat diets, including a modified Atkins diet and low-glycemic index diet, have been developed. Recent ongoing clinical evidence suggests that other dietary therapies have an efficacy almost comparable to that of the KD. In addition, a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids appears to increase the efficacy of diet therapy and reduce the complications of a high-fat diet. Here, we review the systematic information about lower-fat diets and better-quality dietary therapies and the current clinical status of each of these dietary approaches.

Keyword

Ketogenic diet; Atkins diet; Low-glycemic index diet; Polyunsaturated fatty acid; Epilepsy

MeSH Terms

Child
Diet
Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted
Diet, High-Fat
Epilepsy
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
Humans
Ketogenic Diet
Fatty Acids, Unsaturated