Elimination diets can and may bring some of the most fantastic results including ending seizures . I’ve “witnessed” (clients reporting) this several hundreds of times in my practice.
I’ve recently come across more exciting research showing the direct relationship between foods and retractable seizures. The title of the study was :Hypoallergenic diet may control refractory epilepsy in allergic children: A quasi experimental study
In the study 36 children between the ages of 3 months and 16 years of age were identified as averaging 7 seizures per day prior to the intervention. Here’s a brief summary of it’s interventions and findings:
- Common food allergens were identified as cow’s milk, egg, peanut, soy, wheat and sea foods
- Serum IgE measurements to test for allergies (immediate response) to the high profile foods and to environmental allergies (house dust mite and common mixed)
- Those with positive skin prick tests and a history of negative reactions were regarded as mixed type
- Those with negative skin prick tests were regarded as non-IgE
- Dietary avoidance was recommended for both groups
- The parents of the infants that were breastfed were instructed to avoid these foods
- The ratio was 50/50 of boys to girls
- Strict avoidance was required for 8 weeks
The results were outstanding (but not surprising to me).
- The most implicated food in skin prick test (allergies) were egg, cow’s milk, soy and peanut.
- 6 patients (17.6% of the population) showed 50% to 89% reduction in seizures
- significant decrease in seizures (90-99%) was shown in 6 cases
- 17 patients (50%) became totally seizure free.
- Only 5 patients did not show positive improvements.
What’s also interesting to note is that of those children that improved significantly and/or stopped having seizures, NOT all of them tested positive for IgE allergies to these foods. In my opinion, these results force the researchers to stress the importance of children being placed on elimination diets, rather than testing through IgE measurements.
The researcher’s finalize by stating “In this study, we hypothesized that inflammatory process (involving gut) is an underlying cause in some cases of refractory epilepsy13–16 and investigated whether a significant relationship exists between these intractable seizures and food allergy”.
Why these foods? The discussion does not elaborate on the why. In my opinion, I do recognize that all of these foods are high in amines which can increase the histamine overload. I’ve discussed in a few papers about the importance of reducing histamine load to restore methylation balance. Also cow’s milk carries a host of challenges: the protein in casein in highly sensitive in many populations, cow’s consumption of genetically modified food sources are being passed through to individuals consuming it, the what I believe to be emerging cerebral folate deficiency that is further worsened by the consumption of cow’s milk and that cow’s milk is estrogenic which can worsen hormonal balance.
Why didn’t the IgE tests show these results? In my opinion, I’ve observed in hundreds of cases that true elimination allows the body as a whole navigate through it’s digestive and immune processes what’s problematic or not. Perhaps if it’s not an IgE allergy, then it’s an IgG allergy or an intolerance or something other that we (in the cerebral world) have not identified. But as well all know, that body knows best.
What about the other 5 children that didn’t respond to the elimination diet? This is an excellent question and one that I cannot address solely off of opinion. However, in my practice using lab tests may also help identify interventions that would further support the healing process.
In 2015 I wrote an article names “Food Allergies should be explored in all seizure disorders” referencing one other research article (from 1989) showing similar results. You can find information about this here. Today I would call it “Food Allergies, Sensitivities and Intolerances should be explored in all seizure disorders”.
You’ll also find a podcast that I conducted about a family that had significant improvements within the entire family using an elimination diet. Those results were extremely impressive.
Bringing Much Light,
Lynn
