Delicious Keto Recipes: A Guide for Caregivers, this book on dietary therapies to Boost Brain Health gives practical aspects of making dishes according to Indian recipes. The ingredients suggested in these recipes are common and easily available in market. This book is not only for experienced (trained) dieticians but also for other health professionals including doctors, nurses and anyone in the care of a person with epilepsy, obesity, gluten sensitivity/celiac disease, dementia and many such conditions which benefit from ketogenic/modified Atkins/low glycemic index diet.
All the 88 recipes in this book have been prepared, tasted by dieticians and the scientific team involved in the management of these conditions. One of the parents whose child is on diet therapy has contributed by giving recipes of many baked dishes which are acceptable to children.
Efficacy of Ketogenic Diet
Generally, a form of therapy is considered efficacious if it results in at least 50% reduction of seizure frequency. A randomized controlled trial in 2008 reported 44% of children having greater than 50% improvement in seizure control (7). Sharma et al., studied 102 children with DRE at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, and reported that a significantly higher number of children had greater than 90% and 50% reductions in their seizure frequencies on diet therapy (with AEDs) than those taking only AEDs. (8)
A recent randomized controlled trial from Iran studied the MAD in adult-DRE subjects and reported 35.3% responders with more than 50% seizure frequency reduction compared to none in the control group that was not on this diet (9). Results of a meta-analysis of 270 adults with DRE showed that 52% of those following KD and 34% on MAD had their seizure frequencies reduced to at least half. (10)
Benefits and Side Effects of Diet Therapy
Benefits
The major benefit of the diet therapy is improvement in difficult to control seizures, particularly in children. Additional benefits like weight reduction have also been noted, besides the fact that some reduction in the dose or number of medicines resulting in fewer side effects. Return to normal eating habits is a possibility after 2–3 years of following the diet plan, while still maintaining the benefits of reduced seizures. There are many other benefits of the diet therapy, including improvements in alertness, sleep, behaviour, comprehension, motor and communication skills. (11)
Side Effects
Like other medications and any other forms of treatment, there is a possibility of side effects. Proper screening prior to commencement of the diet, adequate fluid intake and stringent monitoring during the diet therapy, by both the epileptologist and the trained dietitian, would minimize these.
The most commonly reported side effects like diarrhoea, nausea and constipation are mild and transient which can often be managed with diet adjustments under the guidance of a dietitian. (12–16)
Some of the recipes from the book:
To learn more about the book – Click here
