Benefits of ketogenic diet in the treatment of refractory epilepsy

UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Abstract

The ketogenic diet is characterized by being a diet rich in fat and low in carbohydrates. Refractory epilepsy is defined as an excessive disordered discharge of cerebral nervous tissue in muscles. The objective of this study is to perform a literature review that can verify the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in the treatment of refractory epilepsy. The scientific papers used in this work were searched in the SciELO, PubMed and Periodicals databases and considered those published in Portuguese, Spanish and English during the last ten years. Papers beyond this date were considered only when they represented great relevance to the present study. 11 scientific articles were reviewed, all of which evidenced the effects of the ketogenic diet in the control of epileptic seizures in patients with refractory epilepsy. KD is presented as an effective non-pharmacological treatment for refractory epilepsy.