Epileptic Children May Benefit From Atkins Diet

Small study points toward the value of the high-protein, high-fat, low-carb diet for epileptics.

In a study of six children who followed the Atkins diet for at least four months, half of the subjects were seizure-free and able to reduce their use of anti-convulsant medications, according to a Dec. 10 announcement by the Baltimore, Md.-based Johns Hopkins Children's Center, which conducted the study.

The researchers note that because the study was so small, children with epilepsy shouldn't yet turn to the diet for relief.