Ketogenic Diets

The ketogenic diet is high in fat, low in carbohydrate with sufficient protein to allow for growth and used to treat epilepsy. The high fat ketogenic diet produces ketone bodies which the brain uses as an alternative energy source to glucose. It may also be used as a treatment for pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) deficiency and there is also increasing interest in the efficacy of the diet for children presenting with fever induced refractory epilepsy of childhood syndrome (FIRES). Two types of ketogenic diet are the classical and the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) diet. This chapter lists possible side effects of the ketogenic diet such as constipation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Implementing and supporting a child on the ketogenic diet requires sufficient dietetic time. The chapter also presents a diet prescription for a modified ketogenic diet (MKD). The diet requires full vitamin and mineral supplementation and preparations must be CHO free.