Does diet have an effect on epilepsy?

There is evidence to suggest that epilepsy may be related to nutritional deficiencies, so reversing malabsorption of existing nutrients in the diet is much more important that supplementing nutrients that may or may not be absorbed. PHOTO | FILE

What you need to know:

  • There is evidence to suggest that epilepsy may be related to nutritional deficiencies.
  • According to Epilepsy Society, a leading provider of epilepsy services in the UK, while different people have their epilepsy triggered by different things, there are some who feel that monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, found in many diet drinks, trigger their seizures.

Epilepsy is a disorder where the brain cells create bursts of abnormal electricity, which in turn causes seizures. Sometimes, these seizures don’t respond to medication, or the side-effects of the medication are problematic, so nutrition is definitely worth a try. I have personally seen individuals with severe epilepsy who have stopped having seizures just by changing their diet.

While there has been research on the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carbohydrates) and a modified Atkins diet and how they help control epilepsy, the diet I am referring to is known as the glutamate/aspartate restricted diet (GARD). It is primarily an elimination diet, making it quite simple to follow.

Our small intestine contains villi – tiny “fingers” that absorb nutrients – and there are four foods known to cause them to be destroyed: gluten grains (wheat, barley, oats and rye), casein (cow milk products), soy, and corn.

There is evidence to suggest that epilepsy may be related to nutritional deficiencies, so reversing malabsorption of existing nutrients in the diet is much more important that supplementing nutrients that may or may not be absorbed. And that’s what GARD does.

This diet also cuts the amount of glutamate the brain has to handle. Glutamate, or glutamic acid, stimulates brain cells and when there is an excess, seizures can arise. 

According to Epilepsy Society, a leading provider of epilepsy services in the UK, while different people have their epilepsy triggered by different things, there are some who feel that monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer, and artificial sweeteners like aspartame, found in many diet drinks, trigger their seizures.

Such people tend to avoid the foods that seem to trigger seizures. Knowing your triggers means you should start reading the ingredients list to see what you’re getting in the pre-packaged foods that you buy. The bean family, nuts (especially peanuts, cashews, pistachios) and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin) are all high in glutamate and aspartate.

Following this strict diet, some individuals recover to such an extent that they can go back to eating all the “wrong” foods they want without experiencing a seizure, pain episode, or bad night’s sleep.