Why would a child be on a ketogenic diet?

Ketogenic diets are strict, medically supervised diets that may be a treatment option for some infants and children with epilepsy. They involve a high fat and very low carbohydrate diet that ensures the body will mainly burn fat rather than carbohydrate and protein for energy, thus producing ketones.

What are some reasons for using a ketogenic diet for controlling seizures in children from Iraq and Egypt as well as in other developing countries?

The ketogenic diet reduces the amount of glutamate in the brain and enhances the synthesis of GABA, making it less likely for a seizure to occur. The diet can also reduce inflammation in the brain, and inflammation due to infections like meningitis, encephalitis, or autoimmune disorders can trigger seizures.

Is low carb diet safe for children?

A low-carb diet is a great way for children to get better control of their diabetes, lose weight (if needed) and inspire them to enjoy healthy eating. In recent decades, many children’s diets have become heavily focused on carbohydrate and sugar -another form of carbohydrate.

What do doctors think about keto diet?

This means that the keto diet can be useful for both controlling your weight and managing pre-diabetes. Because the diet helps to control the amount of glucose in your blood, some doctors recommend it as a treatment for obesity, and as a way of managing pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Why does the ketogenic diet help with epilepsy?

The ketogenic diet has been used to reduce seizures since the 1920s. The mechanism by which the seizures are controlled are poorly understood. Both the low sugar component and high fat component uniquely alters the ‘excitability’ of the brain, thereby reducing the tendency to generate seizures.

Who uses ketogenic diet?

The ketogenic diet traditionally has been used in cases of intractable epilepsy, but it also has become established as a first-line agent in a few specific epilepsy syndromes. Children with epilepsy due to mutations in GLUT-1, which transports glucose across the blood-brain barrier, suffer from seizures in infancy.

Is keto safe for teenager?

Unless a keto diet is recommended and guided by a physician for medical purposes, it’s inappropriate for most children and teens. Following a restrictive diet like keto can lead to unhealthy behaviors surrounding food and may affect growth in children and teens.