Atkins May Benefit Epileptic Children
Study: Atkins Similar To Often-Used Ketogenic Diet
POSTED: 4:37 p.m. EST December 9, 2003
The low-carbohydrate, high-fat Atkins diet has been gaining popularity in recent years with people looking to shed unwanted pounds.
But researchers from Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore say the diet might also play a role in preventing seizures in children with epilepsy.
But the researchers caution that their study is preliminary -- it included only six patients. They said the findings shouldn't cause other epileptic children to switch to an Atkins diet.
Right now, children with seizures that are difficult to control are often put on a rigorous high-fat, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. While the Atkins diet is similar to the ketogenic diet, it's slightly less restrictive.
The ketogenic diet mimics some of the effects of starvation, in which the body first uses up glucose and glycogen before burning stored body fat. In the absence of glucose, the body produces ketones, a chemical byproduct of fat that can inhibit seizures.
In the Hopkins study, five of the six patients studied attained ketosis within days of starting the Atkins diet, and most of the patients reported that the diet controlled their seizures.
"We just don't know yet how effective the Atkins diet is in reducing seizures or if it comes close to the benefits of the ketogenic diet, but our report raises new questions about the ideal level of calorie and protein restriction imposed by the ketogenic diet," said Dr. Eric Kossoff, the study's lead author and a pediatric neurologist at the Children's Center.
Kossoff said it's possible that some children who can't tolerate the restrictiveness of the ketogenic diet could be helped with the Atkins diet instead.
He said that if children were to lose an unhealthy amount of weight on the Atkins diet, the patient would be instructed to eat more fats and proteins.
Previous Stories:
- August 8, 2003: Study Looks At Epilepsy Drugs Vs. Surgery
- March 19, 2003: Atkins-Like Diet May Help Kids With Epilepsy
- January 21, 2003: FDA Approves Epilepsy Drug For Children
- September 23, 2002: Epilepsy Drug May Fight Headaches
Copyright 2003 by clickorlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Three Disney employees are placed on paid leave pending the investigation into a fatal monorail crash.
Days before Austin Wuennenberg was killed in a monorail crash at Disney, he helped make a 4-year-old boy's dream come true.
A clerk at a pizzeria cut himself and falsely reported an armed robbery to cover up his drug habit, sheriff's deputies say.
A former Central Florida middle school teacher who pleaded guilty to having sex with a student is sentenced to five years in jail.
Officials investigate the first fatal accident in the 38-year history of Walt Disney World's monorail.
Thousands flock to a small church in Limerick, Ireland, to pray at the stump of a recently cut tree that many believe looks like the Virgin Mary.
Since Michael Jackson died June 25, fans from around the world have expressed their grief in flowers, balloons, teddy bears, candles, pictures and handwritten notes left throughout the city.
Email Alerts
RSS News Feeds
Mobile
Live Streams
Slideshows
Video
Search
