What's All This About Keto?

It may seem strange that diet would have anything to do with brain health or epilepsy.  But as Dr. Georgia Ede, in a talk at this year’s Low Carb Down Under conference quipped, “studies have shown conclusively that the head is, in fact, part of the body.”  Funny, isn’t it, that we kind of forget that?  The brain, though only weighing a few pounds, consumes about 20% of our energy.  So how could our diet NOT effect our brain health?  

Here’s a broad overview of the connection between food and seizures, in terms that even my unremarkable brain can understand.

Your Body is a Hybrid

My buddy Rich has a Chevy Volt, of which he’s inordinately fond.  It plugs into the wall, and the battery allows it to run 30 miles on electricity alone.  When the electricity runs out, it’s got a gasoline engine that kicks in as a backup.  In this way, Rich can go as far as he needs to go, using a combination of fuels.  

Just like the Volt, your body has two fuel sources: carbohydrates (from veggies, fruit, pasta, milk, pop-tarts) and fats (meat, fish, oil, bacon weenies, your spare tire).  If there’s carbs in the tank, the body will burn carbs for energy.  When the carbs run out, it will switch over to burning fats.  It’s a really useful system, and it allows us humans to live anywhere from the equator to the arctic, eating what we find along the way.  

Fueling the Brain

When your body runs on carbs, it breaks them down into glucose, which is used to fuel the brain (remember that 20%?).  When your body runs on fat, it breaks the fat down into chemicals called ketones, which your brain will use for fuel instead.  

As it happens, ketones are a very good fuel for the brain.  They are sometimes described as a slower-burning, and therefore “less excitatory,” fuel than glucose.  A seizure happens when the neurons go haywire and start over-firing, so it’s easy to see why a “less excitable” brain might be a good thing for those of us with epilepsy.

Low-Carb, High-Fat

So, by cutting way back on carbs, you force the body to live on fat, and the brain to live on ketones.  On the MAD (Modified Atkins Diet), I’m restricted to 20 grams of net carbs per day, which is low enough to keep me burning fat and making ketones all day.  Put another way, using ALL the buzzwords: MAD is a ketogenic diet because it generates ketones, and therefore puts me into the state of ketosis.  (…and just for good measure: #keto).

Ok, enough buzzwords.  At the end of the day, here’s what matters: burn fat, not carbs, and the brain seizes up less often.  In trials like the one I’m in, around half of the patients who stick to the diet successfully reduce or eliminate seizures, and some are able to “cure” their epilepsy completely.  And while half might not sound like much, it’s just as effective as the best medications on the market today — without all the side effects.  Check out this talk where my doctor, the awesome Mackenzie Cervenka, gets into all the science-y details. 

For me, I’m in the best of both worlds.  My seizures are well-controlled by medication, but by joining in this study, I’m able to layer ketosis on top as an adjunct therapy.  The way I see it, why not do all that I can to help myself?  My hope is that it will also lead to better health overall -- and maybe help me shed a few pounds along the way!

Note: The ramblings published on this blog are the opinions of the author alone and shared for entertainment purposes only.  The author is an English major with no medical or scientific background; thus, his words should never be taken as medical advice.  Consult with your doctor or medical professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program.