Ketogenic Supplements Delay Seizures Without Imposing Dietary Restrictions

January 8, 2019

The ketogenic diet has proven successful in helping people lose weight and improve their overall health, including those with epilepsy. The low-carb diet transitions the body from burning sugar to burning fat and ketones for energy. New research suggests that increasing blood ketones by using ketogenic supplementation can reduce seizures without dietary restriction.

A new study published in Physiological Reports finds supplementing a normal, carbohydrate-rich diet with specific ketogenic agents may significantly delay tonic-clonic seizures caused by exposure to high levels of oxygen.

Oxygen toxicity is a complication that can arise following hyperbaric oxygen therapy, an FDA approved treatment used to manage various medical conditions, such as carbon monoxide poisoning, air/gas embolism and diabetic wounds. It involves inhaling pure oxygen in a pressurized or hyperbaric chamber.