Diet for epilepsy in adults?

[mynah]

A friend of mine suffers from epilepsy that has recently become much worse. Doctors have been unable to establish the cause, but clearly the medication he is taking is not sufficient to control seizures. Is there any diet available for adults with the condition? (I know of the ketogenic diet for children, but it sounds like murder on a plate to me - especially for a male in his 30s.)

[palmtreepathos]

I have a friend who's teenage son was helped with his epilepsy by her adding a hefty dose of lecithin granules to her regular bread recipe. There probably are other links along this line for your friend. This link may give you ideas for research. Lecithin granules are easy to add to juice and food.. bland but easy to take even for picky folks... I use it for liver health along with milkthistle. (lecithin is made from soy so beware if allegic to nuts)

 

Not that epilepsy has to do with mental illness but if mental illness can be helped by nutrition, what happens in the brain may be positively affected by the addition of this nutrient....

 

"One of choline's(from lecithin) most important functions is its role in the manufacture of acetylcholine (ACh). Acetylcholine is a chemical released at certain nerve endings and in the brain that transmits the nervous impulse from the nerve ending to the tissue or organ that is the target of the nerve..... ACh is also the neurotransmitter for nerve circuits within the brain."

 

 

"In one double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 30 grams of lecithin a day was administered to six patients in the manic stage of manic depressive disorder. Five of the six patients showed greater improvement with the lecithin than with the inactive placebo. Lecithin improved all the symptoms of mania, including hallucinations, delusions and incoherent speech. This exciting finding requires confirmation by other studies"

Versatile lecithin keeps cholesterol in line | Better Nutrition (1989-90) | Find Articles at BNET