Researchers studied over 14,000 Americans to see if eating Mediterranean-style foods could help prevent epilepsy, a condition that causes seizures. They found that people who ate more Mediterranean foods—like olive oil, fish, whole grains, and vegetables—had about half the risk of developing epilepsy compared to those who ate fewer of these foods. Interestingly, the study suggests that preventing strokes might be one way the diet helps protect against seizures. While these results are promising, scientists say we need more research to fully understand this connection and confirm whether changing your diet can actually prevent epilepsy.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether eating foods from the Mediterranean diet (like olive oil, fish, whole grains, and vegetables) is connected to having fewer seizures and less epilepsy
  • Who participated: 14,259 Americans of different ages and backgrounds who answered health and diet questions between 2013 and 2018 as part of a national health survey
  • Key finding: People who followed the Mediterranean diet more closely had about 50% lower chances of having epilepsy. This means if 100 people with low diet adherence had epilepsy, only about 50 people with high diet adherence would have it.
  • What it means for you: Eating more Mediterranean-style foods might help reduce your risk of developing epilepsy, though this doesn’t mean diet alone can prevent or cure the condition. Talk to your doctor before making major diet changes, especially if you have epilepsy or family history of seizures.

The Research Details

Scientists looked at information from a large national health survey where Americans reported what they ate and whether they had epilepsy. This is called a ‘snapshot’ study because it captures information at one point in time, rather than following people over years. The researchers used special math techniques to figure out if people who ate more Mediterranean foods were less likely to have epilepsy, while accounting for other factors like age, weight, exercise, and other health conditions.

The Mediterranean diet includes foods like olive oil, fish, whole grains, beans, nuts, fruits, and vegetables—basically the traditional foods eaten in countries around the Mediterranean Sea like Greece and Italy. The researchers scored how well each person followed this diet pattern and then looked for connections to epilepsy rates.

This approach is useful for spotting patterns in large groups of people and generating new ideas for research. However, because it’s a snapshot rather than following people over time, we can’t be completely sure that the diet causes lower epilepsy rates—there could be other explanations. This type of study is often the first step before doing longer, more detailed research.

The study included a very large number of people (14,259), which makes the results more reliable. The researchers adjusted their analysis for many other factors that could affect epilepsy risk, like age, weight, exercise, and other diseases. However, the study only looked at one moment in time, so we can’t prove that changing your diet will prevent epilepsy. The findings suggest whole grains are especially important, and there may be special effects for people with diabetes.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that people who ate more Mediterranean-style foods had significantly lower risk of epilepsy. Specifically, those with higher adherence to the diet had about half the risk (50% lower) compared to those with lower adherence. This difference was statistically significant, meaning it’s unlikely to be due to chance.

When the researchers looked at individual foods, whole grains stood out as particularly important. This suggests that foods like brown rice, whole wheat bread, and oatmeal might be especially protective.

The study also found that stroke may play a role in how the diet helps prevent epilepsy. About 6.5% of the protective effect appears to work through reducing stroke risk. This makes sense because strokes can sometimes cause seizures, so preventing strokes might indirectly help prevent epilepsy.

The analysis revealed an interesting interaction with diabetes: the protective effect of the Mediterranean diet appeared stronger in people with diabetes. This suggests that people with diabetes might benefit especially from following this eating pattern. The researchers also identified that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of Mediterranean foods—their ability to reduce swelling and damage in the body—are likely the mechanisms behind the protection.

Previous research has shown that Mediterranean diets help protect the brain and reduce inflammation throughout the body. This study extends that knowledge by suggesting the diet may also help prevent epilepsy specifically. The finding about stroke as a mediating factor is novel and adds a new piece to understanding how diet affects seizure risk. However, most previous epilepsy prevention research has focused on medications rather than diet, so this dietary approach is relatively new.

This study has several important limitations. First, it’s a snapshot in time, so we can’t prove that eating Mediterranean foods actually prevents epilepsy—only that people who eat this way tend to have lower rates. Second, people reported their own diets, which can be inaccurate. Third, we don’t know if people had epilepsy before or after they started eating this way. Finally, the study was done in the United States, so results might differ in other countries with different food availability and populations.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, eating more Mediterranean-style foods appears to be a reasonable dietary approach that may help reduce epilepsy risk. This is a low-risk recommendation since Mediterranean foods are healthy for many other reasons too. However, this should not replace medical treatment for epilepsy. If you have epilepsy or a family history of seizures, discuss any diet changes with your doctor. The confidence level is moderate—the findings are promising but need confirmation with longer-term studies.

This research is most relevant for people interested in preventing epilepsy, especially those with family history of seizures or risk factors like diabetes. It may also interest people with diabetes, since the diet appeared especially protective for them. People already diagnosed with epilepsy should not view this as a replacement for prescribed medications, though adding Mediterranean foods to their diet is unlikely to cause harm. The findings are less relevant for people in regions where Mediterranean foods are not readily available.

If you start eating more Mediterranean foods, you wouldn’t expect to see changes in seizure risk immediately. Brain health changes typically take weeks to months to develop. Most benefits would likely appear over several months to years of consistent eating patterns. This is a long-term lifestyle change rather than a quick fix.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly servings of Mediterranean diet components: olive oil use (servings per week), fish/seafood meals (number per week), whole grain servings (daily count), and vegetable/fruit servings (daily count). Set a goal like ‘3+ fish meals per week’ or ‘5+ whole grain servings daily’ and monitor progress.
  • Start by adding one Mediterranean food to your regular meals each week. Week 1: use olive oil for cooking. Week 2: add fish to dinner twice. Week 3: switch to whole grain bread. Week 4: add more vegetables to meals. This gradual approach is easier to maintain than overhauling your entire diet at once.
  • Use the app to log Mediterranean diet adherence weekly using a simple score (0-10 scale). Track any changes in energy levels, overall health markers, or seizure frequency if applicable. Review monthly trends to see if increased adherence correlates with other health improvements. Share results with your healthcare provider during regular checkups.

This research suggests a possible connection between Mediterranean diet adherence and lower epilepsy risk, but it does not prove that diet can prevent or cure epilepsy. This study was observational and cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships. If you have epilepsy or are at risk for seizures, continue taking prescribed medications as directed by your neurologist. Do not make significant dietary changes without consulting your healthcare provider first, especially if you take medications that interact with food. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice. Always discuss new dietary approaches with your doctor before implementation.