Ketogenic Diet
Last updated 24 Nov 2011, review date due 24 Nov 2013
The ketogenic diet is sometimes used to try and help children whose seizures cannot be reduced or stopped with epilepsy medicines. The diet is higher in fats and lower in carbohydrates than a typical diet.
The ketogenic diet should only be used under the supervision of a dietician who is an expert in the diet. This is because the balance of the diet needs to be carefully worked out for each child. Some children find the diet unpleasant and difficult to follow. Other children manage the diet very well.
Research suggests that for some children the diet can work well and reduce or stop seizures. The diet does not work for every child, and it is not possible to predict who the diet will help.
At present, the ketogenic diet is not used for adults with epilepsy in the UK. However, doctors are doing some research to see if this would be possible in the future.
For full and up-to-date information on the ketogenic diet, go to Matthew's Friends.
We can provide references and information on the source material we use to write our epilepsy advice and information pages. Please contact our Epilepsy Helpline by email at helpline@epilepsy.org.uk.
- Information for...
- Information on...
- Fundraise
- Donate
- Membership
- Campaigns
- Take epilepsy action campaign
- Automatic substitution of anti-epileptic drugs
- National commissioning of paediatric epilepsy surgery
- National Epilepsy Week
- Save our Sapphires, protecting all epilepsy specialist nurse posts
- Women's campaigns
- Epilepsy in England: time for change
- 'Epilepsy Aware' scheme for GP practices and pharmacies
- Campaign Supporters' Group
- Surveys
- News
- Research
- Our services
- Forum
- About us
Epilepsy advice and information
- What is epilepsy?
- Caring for a baby or young child when you have epilepsy: a detailed guide
- Children
- Depression and epilepsy
- Developing epilepsy in later life
- Driving and epilepsy
- Education
- Entitlements and benefits for people with epilepsy
- Epilepsy and learning disabilities
- Epilepsy and Travel abroad
- Epilepsy information for prisons
- Epilepsy, osteoporosis and osteomalacia
- Epilepsy: diagnosis, treatment and healthcare in the UK
- Diagnosing epilepsy
- Anti-epileptic drug treatment
- Other ways of treating epilepsy
- Effects of other things on epilepsy treatment
- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
- Getting healthcare in the UK
- Getting help if you are unhappy with your care or treatment in the UK
- Complementary Treatment
- Epilepsy and Surgery
- Ketogenic Diet
- Visiting your doctor
- Epilepsy medicines available in the United Kingdom
- Getting the same version of your anti-epileptic drugs every time
- St John's Wort
- The Mozart Effect
- Epileptic seizures explained
- Flu and epilepsy
- Identity jewellery
- Inheritance
- Me and my dad
- Memory
- Mobile phones and epilepsy
- Photosensitive epilepsy
- Safety advice for people with epilepsy
- Sports and leisure
- Stress and epilepsy
- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
- Syndromes
- The Disability Discrimination Act
- The Equality Act and epilepsy
- Vagus nerve stimulation therapy in epilepsy
- Work and epilepsy
- Women and epilepsy
- Young people and epilepsy
- Epilepsy Action and the Information Standard
- The Epilepsies: You, Epilepsy and the NICE Guideline
- Epilepsy Action Information Reviewers (EAIRs)
- Technical editing/writing and copyright
Epilepsy Helpline
- UK freephone 0808 800 5050
- International +44 113 210 8850
- Email: helpline@epilepsy.org.uk
- Twitter: epilepsyadvice
- Txt msg: 0753 741 0044 info







