This high-fat, low carbohydrate diet causes the body to break down fats instead of carbohydrates to survive. It creates a condition in your body called ketosis, and some researchers believe that byproducts of ketosis inhibit seizures. A study published in the June 2008 issue of the journal The Lancet Neurology confirmed the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in helping to prevent seizures in children with drug-resistant epilepsy. The ketogenic diet is not easy to maintain, and possible side effects include retarded growth due to nutritional deficiency and kidney stones due to build up of uric acid in the blood. If it's not strictly followed—even a few cookie crumbs or toothpaste can negate the effects—it won't work.