Better Diet May Lower Risk of Epilepsy
Summary
Researchers studied the link between diet quality and the likelihood of developing epilepsy using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2013 and 2018. They focused on the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) score, which measures how well people's diets align with recommended nutritional guidelines. The study included a diverse group of participants to see how their dietary habits might relate to the occurrence of epilepsy.
The findings showed that people with epilepsy had lower HEI-2015 scores compared to those without epilepsy, indicating poorer diet quality. Specifically, for every 1-point increase in the HEI-2015 score, there was a 2.9% decrease in the likelihood of having epilepsy. Additionally, individuals in the highest quartile of diet quality had about 74% lower odds of developing epilepsy compared to those in the lowest quartile. This suggests that better dietary habits may be linked to a lower risk of epilepsy.
Understanding this connection is important because it highlights how diet can play a role in health, particularly in relation to epilepsy. However, it's essential to note that this study shows an association, not a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Other factors, such as body weight and age, also influenced the results, so more research is needed to fully understand how diet impacts epilepsy risk.
