Epilepsy 101: 2010

... but I am back in full swing. I have been on an MSG-free diet for two weeks now, and have been seizure-free since starting. I have been only doing it halfway, and I feel MUCH better! I have decided to go on a stricter, NO MSG AT ALL diet, with a seizure-friendly touch. I call it............ the Webb diet. :) I'll post when it is ready, but as you can imagine, there is a lot to consider! Here is a theory to contemplate in the meantime....

According to Dr. John B. Symes, the author of http://www.dogtorj.net/, the causes of seizures of unknown cause include:

1)The neurostimulating amino acids glutamate and aspartate. These are non-essential amino acids, meaning that they are not required in the diet and are normally manufactured by the body from other sources. They are normally present in the brain and function as two of the primary substances involved in neurological transmission.

2) It is a known fact that MSG (monosodium glutamate) and aspartate (Nutrisweet) cause seizures in some human individuals. MSG is the amino acid glutamate (glutamic acid) while aspartame contains the amino acid aspartate (aspartic acid). These substances are specifically used for their neurostimulatory properties. MSG stimulates the taste buds thereby making them more sensitive to the foods that are passing over them. It is therefore used as a flavor enhancer.

Aspartame does something similar to the taste buds while imparting a sweet taste. Both are neurostimulants and are used for that express purpose. However, both are neurotoxic in excessive quantities. This is a known fact, not a theory. They have caused seizures, migraine headaches, pain syndromes and much, much more. Aspartame has also recently been investigated in its possible role in the rise of brain tumors and Alzheimer's Disease.

3) His theory then suggests that idiopathic epilepsy (epilepsy of unknown cause) is caused by a rise in these non-essential amino acids resulting in seizures, a known side effect of these two substances.

Dr. Symes then writes: The obvious question is why it occurs in some individuals and not others. A related question is why the onset of epilepsy is so variable, reportedly ranging from 6 months of age to 6 years or even older. Another question is why it is a progressive condition in most cases, starting with mild, infrequent seizures and often leading to uncontrollable daily seizures despite heavy medication.

He goes on to ask why, if this were simply a genetic defect of some sort, why don't the seizures begin right away and why do they occur so sporadically in most cases.

[To answer these three questions, I submit that a hair tissue mineral analysis will reveal the answers to these questions in almost all cases of idiopathic epilepsy.]

4) Dr. Symes answers these questions by turning to the problem of gluten in the diet. While studying celiac disease, he found that celiac children with epilepsy often greatly improved once the gluten grains (wheat, barley, and rye) were removed from the diet. The fact is that MSG has been made from wheat and soy. They are obviously rich in this amino acid.

The main characteristic of celiac disease is the damage that the gluten does to the duodenum, that first stretch of intestine after the stomach. The gluten coats the little absorptive villi of the gut (like "glue"), induces an immune response, and causes the destruction of those villi. This part of the bowel is responsible for absorbing calcium, iron, iodine, B vitamins, Vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, boron, chromium, zinc, and much, much more.

These vitamins are essential in the formation of the enzyme systems of the body, including those of the liver and the brain that are responsible for the regulation of the levels of the amino acid glutamate. Therefore, the "theory" states that it is the progressive malabsorption syndrome taking place in the duodenum that leads to the progressive inefficiency of these enzyme systems of the body that leads to the progressive rise in the levels of glutamate (and aspartate) that leads to the progressively worsening seizures.

The amino acids, Dr. Symes asserts, cause the seizures (as they have been proven to do) while the malabsorption syndrome (which has been proven to occur in people like celiacs) leads to the underlying cause of the progressive nature of the condition.

While this can be true, the gluten theory does not completely explain why only some individuals are so affected, since most people eat wheat every day. It also does not explain the variability of the time of onset. This, we contend, can be somewhat explained by the other imbalances discussed in this article that may also contribute to seizure disorders.