In June 2018 researchers from Norway published the results of their study to assess the effect of a modified Atkins diet in 56 adults with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. All individuals experienced at least three seizures per month despite having tried a least three anti-epileptic drugs. In this study, 24 individuals received the modified Atkins diet and 32 continued with their normal diet. Results showed that there was more than a 25% reduction in seizure frequency in the modified Atkin diet group compared to those who continued with their normal diet. However, seizure response varied considerably between individuals, which may have been due to a reduction in the serum concentration of anti-epileptic drugs.
Kverneland M et al. Effect of modified Atkins diet in adults with drug-resistant focal epilepsy: A randomized clinical trial. Epilepsia. 2018 Jun 14. [Epub ahead of print]