Researchers have identified the ability of the keto diet to prevent seizures

Researchers from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned that the keto diet causes physical changes in brain cells, reducing the strength of electrical signals between neurons and helping to reduce the number of epileptic seizures in some patients. This was reported on February 25 by Medical Xpress magazine.

"A deeper understanding of the mechanism of action of the diet opens up new opportunities for the development of treatments that are not as strict as the diet itself, but at the same time allow you to control seizures," said Ghazale Ashrafi, PhD, associate professor of cell Biology and Physiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

According to the expert, although the keto diet is effective in reducing the frequency of seizures, most people cannot follow it, because even a slight deviation from the regime negates the benefits.

The study showed that the keto diet affects neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where seizures often begin. In an experiment on mice that followed a high-fat diet, scientists found that reducing the activity of excitatory signals between neurons and increasing inhibitory chemicals helped reduce the frequency of seizures.

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In addition, the study found that the neurons of mice that followed an appropriate diet contained fewer vesicles with excitatory chemical signals compared to rodents that followed a regular diet. This discovery, according to scientists, is consistent with changes in the activity of genes.

"There are many correlations between diet and diseases that could lead us to potential treatment strategies if we knew more about them. In this case, if we can mimic the molecular changes that cause neurons to produce fewer of these vesicles, we can mimic the anticonvulsant effect without having to drastically change the patient's diet," Ashrafi concluded.

On February 19, Medical Xpress magazine reported on the dangers of a diet without fiber for memory. According to the publication, the effect can appear in three days. The researchers emphasized that increasing fiber intake, in turn, may be beneficial for the brain.

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