Diet change combined with drugs may cut seizures by half: AIIMS study
New Delhi (PTI): Following a modified Atkins diet high in fat and low in carbohydrates and taking medication may reduce seizures by over half in people with tough-to-treat epilepsy, according to a study by researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences.
The modified Atkins diet is a combination of the Atkins diet and a ketogenic diet that includes food items such as soy products, heavy cream, butter and oils, leafy green vegetables, and animal protein including eggs, chicken, fish, and bacon.
While the ketogenic diet has been shown to be effective in reducing seizures, its stringent requirements and restrictions can make it difficult to follow, the researchers said.
"For people with drug-resistant epilepsy, or those who have been unable to find effective treatment to reduce seizures, it's encouraging to see that there are lifestyle changes that can be combined with standard drug therapy to reduce the number of seizures," said Manjari Tripathi, from AIIMS New Delhi.
"Our study found that this combination may reduce the chance of seizures by more than half," said Tripathi, author of the study published in the journal Neurology.
The study involved 160 adults and adolescents who had epilepsy for more than 10 years on average and had at least 27 seizures per month despite trying an average of four antiseizure medications at the maximum tolerated dose.
They were randomly assigned to receive either standard drug therapy alone or drugs plus the modified Atkins diet over six months. Participants logged their seizures and meals.
They were given food lists, sample menus and recipes. Carbohydrate intake was restricted to 20 grams per day. US Federal dietary guidelines recommend between 225 and 325 grams of carbs per day.
After six months, researchers found that 26 per cent of people who had both drug therapy and followed the modified Atkins diet had more than a 50 per cent reduction in seizures compared to only three per cent of the people who had drug therapy alone.
Four people in the diet group were free of seizures by the end of the study, while no one in the medication-only group was seizure-free, the researchers found.
The study also looked at quality of life, behaviour and side effects at six months.
The group that had drug therapy and followed the modified Atkins diet showed an improvement in all areas compared to the group that had drug therapy alone, the researchers said.
They noted that 33 per cent of the participants did not complete the study due to poor tolerance of the diet, lack of benefit or the inability to follow-up in part due to COVID-19.
However, the researchers said tolerance of the modified Atkins diet was better than what is seen with the ketogenic diet.
"While the modified Atkins diet may be an effective treatment in controlling seizures, further research is needed to identify genetic biomarkers and other factors associated with the response to this diet," Tripathi added.
"This may improve patient care by encouraging targeted precision based earlier use of this diet," she added.
The researchers acknowledged a limitation in the study that seizures were self-reported or reported by caregivers, so some of them may not have been reported at all.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Ex-Army officer assaulted, robbed at gunpoint by woman he met through matrimonial website
Mathura(UP), Apr 5 (PTI): A retired Army colonel from Haryana has filed a police complaint here, alleging that he was held hostage, assaulted, looted and forced to participate in an "obscene video" at gunpoint with a woman he met through a matrimonial website, police said on Saturday.
The woman from Mathura, who was allegedly in on the plan to rob him, was working with other accomplices, the ex-armyman said in his complaint filed on Thursday.
According to Barsana Station House Officer (SHO) Raj Kamal Singh, Colonel Rajneesh Soni (retired), a resident of Gurugram, reported that he was contacted by a woman from Barsana on a matrimonial website in January. The woman allegedly agreed to marry him, and they began communicating.
The woman allegedly persuaded the colonel to visit Barsana on January 25, requesting that he visit the Radharani temple. When he arrived, she arranged for his stay at a guest house and took him on a tour of the area, including a visit to the temple, the complainant said.
After returning to the guest house, the woman and her accomplices allegedly told the colonel that her brother had been involved in an accident and they needed to leave immediately. They then led him to a waiting car.
"Once outside the town limits, the colonel alleges that he was attacked by the occupants of the car. They seized his phone, physically assaulted him, and forced him to contact relatives and friends to transfer money," the SHO said.
"He was then taken back to the guest house, where he was allegedly forced to participate in obscene videos and photographs at gunpoint. He was threatened that the videos would be made public if he reported the incident," the officer said.
The colonel has alleged that his purse, bag, gold chain, debit card and Rs. 12,000 in cash were stolen from the guest house.
After an unsuccessful attempt at locating the perpetrators himself, the colonel finally reported the incident to the Barsana police two days ago, he said.
"A case has been registered under relevant sections of the BNS and all facts are being investigated. Further action will be taken as per facts found in the investigation," the SHO said.
