title: Study explains how ketogenic diets prevent seizures: « New findings in mice shed light on brain’s response to the keto diet, long known to help treat some patients with epilepsy. »
author: u/fchung
contenttype: redditpost
publication: r/science
published: 2026-02-28T15:07:03+00:00
sourceurl: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1rh4xl4/studyexplainshowketogenicdietsprevent/
word_count: 106
Link: https://medicine.washu.edu/news/study-explains-how-ketogenic-diets-prevent-seizures/
Score: 355 | Comments: 5 | Subreddit: r/science
Top Comments
u/fchung (31 pts):
Ketogenic diets, which are high in fat and very low in carbohydrates, have long been known to reduce epileptic seizures in some patients, but it hasn’t been clear why. A new study by WashU Medicine researchers shows in mice that the diet causes changes in the brain that dampen signaling between cells, opening a potential pathway to targeted therapies.
u/fchung (13 pts):
Reference: Stunault, Marion I. et al., Ketogenic diet dampens excitatory neurotransmission by shrinking synaptic vesicle pools, Cell Reports, Volume 45, Issue 2, 2116945, February 24, 2026. https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(26)00023-9