Examining data from 150 countries from 1990 to 2018, researchers explored the relationship between the types of food people were exposed to and how common epilepsy was in those countries.
By looking at the exposures to fat, carbohydrates and proteins and comparing it to the number of epilepsy cases modelling found that carbohydrate supply was strongly correlated with an increased epilepsy occurrence, while fat supply had the opposite association.
The study showed that a higher fat to carbohydrate ratio was linked to lower epilepsy burden, with the lowest epilepsy incidence found in environments where people were exposed to more fatty foods and fewer sugary or starchy foods.
Author of the study and Professor of Paediatrics at NBMLHD Professor Ralph Nanan says the study is the first of its kind to correlate idiopathic epilepsy disease burden with global nutritional environments and highlights a potential beneficial role of fat in epilepsy prevention.
"Our analysis revealed a significant inverse relationship between fat supply and epilepsy rates, and a direct correlation between carbohydrate supply and increased epilepsy burden," explains Ralph.
“These findings suggest that dietary environments emphasising fat consumption, particularly when coupled with reduced carbohydrate intake, may play a role in mitigating epilepsy risk."
Future research will focus on investigating the underlying biological mechanisms that connect dietary habits to epilepsy risk, as well as examining the impact of specific types of fats and carbohydrates. The researchers also aim to explore the optimal timing for dietary interventions to maximise their potential preventive effects.
“This study is an exciting step in understanding how diet might play a role in preventing epilepsy. While more research is needed, it offers hope that we can find new ways to reduce the number of people affected by epilepsy,” says Ralph.
Full findings from the study have been published online in journal, Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
