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Living With Epilepsy
Epilepsy and Diet and Nutrition
Nutrition and diet for those with epilepsy
Wouldn’t it be good if your kid who has epilepsy will be less prone to seizures
through just eating a diet that is rich in protein and have a lot less
carbohydrates?
Believe it or not, the first ever comprehensive study on the possibility of
using diet in the treatment of epilepsy has been published.
The Atkins Diet for epilepsy patients
One of the regimens included the Atkins Diet, a low-carb kind of diet that was
proven to be effective in suppressing seizures in epileptic patients.
The study has been published in the review Epilepsy Currents. The same study
also explored the possible benefits of low-carbohydrates, high protein dietary
therapies as well as a restricted diet for epileptic patients.
Though admittedly, Atkins diet was considered as an unhealthy way to diet, it
has also been shown to curb fits especially to children who has epilepsy. This
was proven by a group of scientists in the United States.
A total of six epilepsy patients, three of them kids with ages that do not
exceed twelve years old, have been kept to a low carb and a diet high in fat.
They were studied by the researchers from the John Hopkins centre for children
in Baltimore.
It was shown that the kids remained free from any epileptic seizures between 4
and twenty months. The kids were also able to have lower intake dose of their
medication.
However, caution is also advised as the study was conducted to only six
patients. It is actually more vital to know which patients may find the Atkins
diet work to their benefit.
The ketogenic diet for epilepsy patients
Another diet that is being used to help sufferers of epilepsy is the ketogenic
diet. This diet involves the intake of low carbohydrates food, sufficient
protein and high fat.
The ketogenic diet is currently the most famous diet therapy among the community
of people with epilepsy.
Believe it or not, the ketogenic diet was created in the year 1921 in order to
mimic the effects of the effects of fasting – which was proven to be anti-convulsant,
and has the ability to suppress epileptic seizures.
The ketogenic diet is also usually involved with the norepinephrine transporter
(NE) knockout. NE shows effects that are anti-ictal against various
proconvulsants.
NE was also shown to dramatically decrease the severity of seizures in mice that
were fed diets that are normal.
Since the ketogenic diet is low in carbs and high in a lot of fat, the human
body is therefore forced to burn off the fat in order to have energy. This
process is then termed as ketosis.
The study reveals that such an energy shift results in an effect that is anti
convulsant, however the specific mechanics of how this happens is not clearly
understood.
The PUFA diet for epilepsy patients
There is another dietary treatment for epilepsy patients who are within the
illness’ initial stages.
This diet is high in fatty polyunsaturated acids or PUFA. This has been
considered as a good option in controlling seizures.
A PUFA enriched diet has been shown to help in the development of the brain as
well as decrease the nerve cells excitability (thereby inducing the seizures).
Also, a PUFA enriched diet may assist against the debilitating and degenerative
after effects of Alzheimer’s.
Are these diets a success?
It has been shown that such diets were successful in some points, however the
drawbacks were in the diet implementation.
Success though has been seen much with Atkins compared to the other forms of
diet, as epilepsy patients found this diet as a lot easier to comply with.
Basically, a doctor has expressed the fact that current knowledge in terms of
the relation between epilepsy and nutrition is at its infant stage right now.
Currently, diet treatments for epilepsy are a bit premature. However, there are
potential positive dietary benefits on the horizon.
All in all, such diet treatments could be done along with the traditional
epilepsy medication taken. Being sensitive and aware of the food eaten by a
person with epilepsy could help in curbing the epileptic fits as well as help
make his body a lot healthier. The dietary treatments are basically beneficial
in more ways than one.
>>> Table of Contents
Epilepsy News:
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Live Search: epilepsy site:msnbc.msn.com
Search results
FDA probes suicide link to epilepsy drugs - Mental health- msnbc.com
The Food and Drug Administration has begun a preliminary inquiry into whether epilepsy drugs might increase the risk of suicidal behavior in some patients.
Push to prevent epilepsy after brain injury - More health news- msnbc ...
Survivors of traumatic brain injuries ? from car-crash victims to soldiers wounded in Iraq ? face an extra hurdle as they recover: Thousands of them will develop epilepsy ...
Epilepsy patients advised to try newer treatments - More health news ...
The number of drugs approved to treat epilepsy has doubled in the past decade, offering long-needed alternatives to some patients. But too few doctors know how to best use the new ...
Epilepsy drug shown to reverse obesity in rats - Diet and nutrition ...
An epilepsy drug being tested for use in treating addiction can help obese rats shed weight, government researchers said on Wednesday.
FDA strengthens epilepsy drug warnings - Health care- msnbc.com
The FDA Wednesday strengthened warnings on certain drugs used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder and nerve pain.
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Google
epilepsy - Google News
epilepsy - Google News
Removing Part Of Brain Controls Girl's Epilepsy - Science Daily (press releas...
Removing Part Of Brain Controls Girl's Epilepsy
Science Daily (press release) - 5 hours ago
She has come a long way from the time when she was heavily medicated and lethargic, and has even become a spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation's ...
Cyberonics Reports Strong Sales Growth and Profitability in Fiscal ... - Mark...
Cyberonics Reports Strong Sales Growth and Profitability in Fiscal ...
MarketWatch - 21 hours ago
Net sales of $36.0 million, a 24% increase from $28.9 million, -- Net US product sales attributable to the epilepsy indication increased by an estimated 32% ...
Cyberonics Swings To Q2 Profit On Top Line Growth; Lifts FY09 ... RTT News
all 458 news articles
November Is National Epilepsy Awareness Month - Kansas City infoZine
November Is National Epilepsy Awareness Month
Kansas City infoZine, MO - 9 hours ago
Jefferson City, MO - infoZine - Missourians made more visits to emergency room hospitals for epilepsy in 2006 compared to 2000, and educating people about ...
U.Va.'s Dr. Jaideep Kapur Named Vice President of American ... - University o...
U.Va.'s Dr. Jaideep Kapur Named Vice President of American ...
University of Virginia, VA - 14 hours ago
Internationally recognized for his research in epilepsy, Kapur's laboratory is concerned with understanding the mechanisms underlying status epilepticus, ...
Gene Associated With Epilepsy Discovered - Science Daily (press release)
Gene Associated With Epilepsy Discovered
Science Daily (press release) - Nov 18, 2008
18, 2008) ? A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene ...
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Yahoo!
Yahoo! News Search Results for epilepsy
Yahoo! News Search Results for epilepsy
Removing Part Of Brain Controls Girl's Epilepsy (Science Daily)
Surgeons told Jessica Nelson one of the scariest things she will ever hear as a parent: they wanted to treat her daughter's epilepsy by cutting out or disconnecting half of her brain. Then something extraordinary happened: it worked.
International Team Finds Gene Associated With Epilepsy (Medical News Today)
A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy. While the PRICKLE1 gene mutation was specific to a rare form of epilepsy, the study results could help lead to new ideas for overall epilepsy treatment. The findings, which involved nearly two dozen institutions from six different countries, appear in the Nov.
Epilepsy Foundation (KAMR Amarillo)
A local non-profit association has now become a national chapter. The High Plains Epilepsy Association has been in West Texas for over 30 years. They serve 79 counties in the panhandle. And today they are being named the newest chapter of the Epilepsy Foundation of America.
Discovery of new gene linked to epilepsy (News-Medical-Net)
A University of Iowa-led international research team has found a new gene associated with the brain disorder epilepsy.
November Is National Epilepsy Awareness Month (Kansas City InfoZine)
Condition is most often managed with prescription medications
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