- How to diet
- Caring for sugar in food
- When to go on the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy
- Side Effects of Diet
The ketogenic diet for epilepsy is based on a diet rich in fats, with a moderate amount of protein and low in carbohydrates. This food composition causes the organism to enter a state of ketosis, which makes the brain use ketone bodies as the main fuel for its cells, controlling epileptic seizures.
This diet is used for cases of refractory epilepsy, which is the form of the disease that is difficult to control, and should be followed for about 2 to 3 years, when attempts can be made to introduce a common diet, verifying the reappearance of crises. With the ketogenic diet, it is often possible to reduce medication for crisis control.
How to diet
To start the ketogenic diet, there is usually the patient and his family are advised to make a gradual increase in the amount of dietary fats and a reduction in carbohydrates, such as breads, cakes, pasta and rice. This monitoring is done in weekly consultations with the doctor and the nutritionist, and a first phase of adaptation necessary for the patient to be able to make the total ketogenic diet.
In cases where the patient has some complication of the disease, he must be hospitalized and undergo a fast of up to 36 hours to enter a state of ketonuria, when then the ketogenic diet can be started.
There are two types of diet that can be used:
- Classic Ketogenic Diet: 90% of calories come from fats like butter, oils, sour cream and olive oil, and the other 10% come from proteins like meat and eggs, and carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables. Modified Atkins diet: 60% of calories come from fats, 30% from foods high in protein and 10% from carbohydrates.
The Atkins bed has a greater adherence by the patient and more is easy to follow, due to its high content of proteins such as meats, eggs and cheeses, which improves the flavor and facilitates the preparation of meals.
Caring for sugar in food
Sugar is present in several industrialized foods such as juices, soft drinks, ready-made teas, cappuccinos and diet products. Thus, it is important to always look at the list of ingredients in foods and avoid products that contain the following terms, which are also sugars: dextrose, lactose, sucrose, glucose, sorbitol, galactose, mannitol, fructose and maltose.
In addition, vitamin supplements and medications that the patient uses must also be sugar free.
When to go on the Ketogenic Diet for Epilepsy
The ketogenic diet should be used as a treatment for epilepsy when at least two medications specific to the type of epilepsy (focal or generalized) have already been used without success in improving crises. In these cases, the disease is called refractory or difficult-to-control epilepsy, and eating can be an effective treatment option.
Almost all patients undergoing the diet achieve a great reduction in the number of seizures, and the use of medications can even be reduced, always according to the doctor's guidance. After the end of treatment with the diet, which can last from 2 to 3 years, it is expected that the seizures will be kept in half. See how the complete treatment for epilepsy is done.
Side Effects of Diet
Excessive dietary fat makes the child or adult patient feel less hungry, requiring more patience and effort from the patient and family during meals. In addition, during the adaptation phase, there may be intestinal problems such as constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
It is also common for there to be no weight gain in children in the first year of the diet, but their growth and development must remain normal and must be monitored by the pediatrician. Symptoms such as lethargy, irritability and refusing to eat may also appear.
The ketogenic diet to lose weight, on the other hand, is less restricted and has other characteristics. See an example menu here.
