The ketogenic diet influences taxonomic and functional composition of the gut microbiota in children with severe epilepsyOriginal paper
Karen Pendergrass is a microbiome researcher specializing in microbiome-targeted interventions (MBTIs). She systematically analyzes scientific literature to identify microbial patterns, develop hypotheses, and validate interventions. As the founder of the Microbiome Signatures Database, she bridges microbiome research with clinical practice. In 2012, based on her own investigative research, she became the first documented case of FMT for Celiac Disease, four years before the first published case study.
Read MoreWhat was studied?
Researchers examined how the ketogenic diet affects the gut microbiota of children with therapy-resistant epilepsy. Twelve children on the diet were compared to eleven parents who did not start the diet and served as controls.
How was it studied?
Fecal samples were collected before starting the ketogenic diet and again after three months on the diet. Shotgun metagenomic DNA sequencing established both taxonomic and functional microbial profiles.
What did they find?
Alpha diversity did not change significantly, but taxonomic and functional composition shifted. Mean Bifidobacterium relative abundance fell from 15.8 percent to 3.9 percent, with B. longum and B. adolescentis both significantly reduced. E. rectale and Dialister also decreased, while E. coli relative abundance rose from about 3.1 percent to 8.5 percent. Twenty-nine SEED functional subsystems changed, including seven carbohydrate metabolism pathways that were reduced.
Why it matters
Bifidobacteria and E. rectale are fiber-consuming, health-promoting bacteria linked to short-chain fatty acid production. Their depletion alongside E. coli's rise raises concern about the diet's effect on gut and overall health, even as it helps control seizures.