Research

Macro partitioning

The modified Atkins diet (carbohydrate restriction to 15g/day with ad libitum fat/protein/calories) produces significant seizure reduction in adults with intractable epilepsy, with efficacy correlating with weight loss.

For adults with drug-resistant epilepsy, a modified Atkins diet (15g carbs/day, unlimited fat/protein) can significantly reduce seizures, especially if weight loss occurs. It is less restrictive than traditional ketogenic diets, potentially improving adherence, though about one-third of patients discontinue due to perceived restrictiveness. A 2-month trial is suggested to assess efficacy.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Using an intent-to-treat analysis, 47% had a >50% seizure reduction after 1 and 3 months on the diet; 33% after 6 months... Body-mass index (BMI) decrease correlated with efficacy at 3 months, p = 0.03.
Eric H. Kossoff et al. · Epilepsia · 2007

Why this rating

Prospective, open-label study with a small sample size (n=30) and no control group, limiting generalizability and causal inference compared to RCTs.

Source

A Prospective Study of the Modified Atkins Diet for Intractable Epilepsy in Adults

Eric H. Kossoff et al. · Epilepsia · 2007

DOI 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2007.01256.x

cohort · n=30Cited 228×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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