Bacon, high fat diet ends seizures

It’s not a diet that is usually recommended by doctors but children around the country are being prescribed the “keto diet.”

Bacon, butter, cream, sausage and mayonnaise aren’t basic food groups. They are however fats that are tricking the brain into doing away with seizures.

The brain is fueled by glucose sugar but when only fat is ingested, the brain doesn’t get enough glucose. The result of that diet is the body producing a brain fuel called ketones, which have proven to minimize and even eliminate seizures.

ABC News’ Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser reported on the diet on World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer Thursday night. One of the children highlighted in Besser’s report, who previously had 50 seizures per day, is no longer using medication, has stopped using the “keto diet” and does not have seizures anymore. In fact, the report says that a third of all children who have tried the diet have become seizure free.

Besser stresses that nobody should try this diet on their own as children can become malnourished. The recommendation is to consult a neurologist about individual cases concerning seizures.