A closer look

The ketogenic diet didn't start as an annoying weight-loss fad; it was engineered to perform a metabolic exorcism on misfiring brains. Epileptic seizures thrive on the rapid, volatile energy provided by glucose. By strictly depriving the brain of carbohydrates and forcing it to burn ketone bodies derived from fat, the diet effectively starves hyperactive neurons of the fast-burning fuel they need to trigger a seizure.