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A new systematic review finds that lifestyle interventions like yoga, meditation, and dietary changes can meaningfully reduce seizure frequency in epilepsy patients when used alongside standard medications. Yoga and mindfulness showed the highest response rates, with up to 79% of participants achieving at least 50% seizure reduction long-term. Experts stress these approaches should complement — never replace — antiseizure medications.
Nearly one-third of epilepsy patients continue to have seizures despite trying multiple medications — and a new systematic review published in Epilepsia suggests lifestyle interventions could help fill that gap. Led by Cleveland Clinic epileptologist Dr. Elizabeth Spurgeon, the review analyzed 118 prospective studies and found that across all lifestyle interventions, 50% of participants achieved at least 50% seizure reduction at the final follow-up point.
Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness stood out as the most promising approaches, potentially through mechanisms like increased GABA activity, enhanced parasympathetic nervous system response, and reduced stress — all of which may indirectly improve seizure control and medication adherence. Dietary interventions had the largest evidence base, while exercise and supplements showed the lowest response rates.
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Why it matters: These findings offer a compelling case for integrating lifestyle approaches into comprehensive epilepsy care — but experts are clear that they're adjuncts, not alternatives, to antiseizure medications. Larger, well-designed trials are still needed to confirm which specific practices work best and for whom.
