Abstract

Epilepsy is a persistent neurological disorder distinguished by repetitive episodes of seizures that presents notable complexities for patients and healthcare providers. While phar-macotherapy remains fundamental in its management, the emergence of functional foods and nutraceuticals has garnered attention as adjunctive therapeutic options. This review examines the role of functional foods and nutraceuticals in epilepsy management, examining their mech-anisms of action, evidence-based efficacy, and safety profiles. The review delineates various functional foods and nutraceuticals exhibiting promise in epilepsy management, encompassing omega-3 fatty acids, the ketogenic diet, flavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. Mechanically, these substances modulate neuronal excitability, neurotransmitter release, and neuroinflamma-tion, thus exerting anticonvulsant effects. Furthermore, they may augment the efficacy of con-ventional antiepileptic drugs while mitigating their adverse effects. Clinical investigations as-sessing the efficacy of functional foods and nutraceuticals in epilepsy management have yield-ed encouraging findings, albeit necessitating further inquiry to ascertain optimal dosing proto-cols and long-term safety considerations. Additionally, challenges such as bioavailability, formulation standardization, and patient adherence warrant attention to optimize therapeutic outcomes.

Keywords: Status epilepticus, food bioactives, dietary therapy, epilepsy management, human health, neurodegeneration.