Dietary Therapy

Ketogenic Diet

As one of the oldest epilepsy diet treatments, the ketogenic diet consists of consuming high-fat foods and very few carbohydrates. This diet should be carefully calculated and monitored by a knowledgeable doctor. The diet itself is challenging, especially at the beginning. The ketogenic diet requires:

• Strict compliance
  
• Precise food measurements
  
• A hospital stay for observation
  
• Plenty of patience

For more information about the ketogenic diet, please contact the Johns Hopkins Ketogenic Diet Center.

Modified Atkins Diet

Developed at Johns Hopkins in 2002, the modified Atkins diet lowers seizure rates (usually within a few months) in nearly half the adults that try it. The modified Atkins diet, unlike the ketogenic diet, involves no fasting, hospital stay, food weighing, or counting of calories or fluids. For more information about the modified Atkins diet, please contact the Johns Hopkins Ketogenic Diet Center (for children) or the Johns Hopkins Adult Epilepsy Diet Center (for adults).

Request an appointment

For more information, request an appointment at the Epilepsy Center.