The use of keto diets in children is relatively rare. But it is found that the children treated with a keto diet have found improvements in the quality of their life. The diet is useful in children with certain health conditions like epilepsy and brain cancer.
In children with epilepsy, the keto diet helps decrease seizure frequency by up to 50%. The anti-seizure effects of the keto diet are the result of several factors like reduced brain excitability, enhanced energy metabolism, brain antioxidant effects among others.
The keto diet has also been used along with traditional chemotherapy to help treat certain types of brain cancer in adults and children. The diet helps reduce tumor size when combined with other forms of treatment.
The keto diet is not so commonly recommended for healthy children. But it is useful to treat them with certain medical conditions alongside traditional therapies. Medical guidance is mandatory before starting the keto diet for children and teens.