Epilepsy is a group of clinical syndromes characterized by sporadic brain malfunctions caused by recurrent abnormal neuronal discharges during the long-term course of the disease. There are two major types of epilepsy: primary epilepsy, which develops mostly in childhood and may be genetically related, and secondary epilepsy, which is often secondary to various diseases such as traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, encephalitis, cerebral parasites, birth injury, cerebral hypoplasia, hydrocephalus, etc., and accounts for the majority of epilepsy cases. In daily life, the diet of patients should pay attention to the following aspects.
In principle, the diet of epilepsy patients is no different from that of normal people. As far as possible, they should diversify their food, eat more nutritious and easily digestible food, such as pasta, beans, lean meat, eggs, fish, milk, etc. In particular, they should eat more beans, fresh vegetables, fruits and dairy products, which are high in protein and phospholipid-rich foods that help the recovery of brain function and reduce the number of seizures. The food should be less fatty, goose, mutton should be less; some stimulating food, such as chili, onion, garlic, also to eat less, otherwise, is not conducive to the recovery of the disease. In addition, we should also pay attention to diet in moderation, to overcome the habits of partial food, omnivorous, binge drinking, overeating, uneven hunger, especially in children, excessive diet can often induce seizures.
1, usually can eat more acidic food.
Scientific research shows that food has a certain impact on primary epilepsy, alkaline food can induce epilepsy, and acidic food can inhibit seizures (referring to primary epilepsy). Therefore, patients are usually advised to eat acidic foods, such as peanuts, walnuts, pork, beef, fish, shrimp, eggs, etc. However, the treatment of secondary epilepsy with acidic food is not effective, and the primary disease must be actively treated in order to reduce or avoid seizures.
2, to control the intake of water and salt.
Epilepsy is prone to develop when too much water is accumulated in the body, why is this? In recent medical research, it is believed that seizures begin in the center of the brain – the part of the mesencephalon, and stimulation of the mesencephalon can cause seizures. The mesencephalon is the body’s water regulation center, and a large amount of liquid food and salt entering the body can increase the burden on the mesencephalon, which can lead to seizures. Therefore, epileptic patients should try to eat less water and salt, including juice, cola, watermelon, pickles, salted fish, salted meat, etc.
3, tobacco and alcohol can increase neural excitability and induce seizures.
Epilepsy patients should be absolutely prohibited from drinking alcohol and limit the intake of stimulating substances such as tobacco, tea and coffee to avoid affecting disease recovery. There are many clinical lessons about seizures induced or aggravated by drinking alcohol or ingesting other stimulating substances, which should be taken as a warning.
The most important thing is to choose a good doctor, correct diagnosis and reasonable treatment, do not delay again and again; do not have a disease to seek medical help, the heart does not need to be heavy load, the opportunity is critical, regain health and happiness.
4, more acid food and less salt.
The traditional foods that are acidic are: peanuts, walnuts, pork, beef, chicken, duck, goose, fish, shrimp, eggs and so on.
The actual fact is that the actual fact is that the particular person is not a person.
Some scholars believe that “the mesencephalon is the human body fluid regulation center, a large amount of liquid into the body, will increase the burden of the mesencephalon, thus inducing epilepsy.” And some epilepsy patients often have a sudden onset during the process of holding urine, probably also because of overfilling of the bladder caused by excessive drinking, which generates stronger electrical impulses and induces abnormal neuronal discharge.
Epilepsy is a chronic syndrome of the brain characterized by transient central nervous system malfunction caused by abnormal neuronal discharges in the brain.
Because it is a chronic syndrome, patients should not stop, change, or increase or decrease the amount of medication midway through treatment to avoid aggravating the condition, and anti-epileptic drugs can have an impact on the digestive system, leading to a lack of nutrients or metabolic disorders in patients such as vitamin K, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin D, and calcium, magnesium, and other substances. Fresh vegetables, soybean oil and egg yolk contain a lot of vitamin k. Vitamin D, calcium and magnesium are related to the growth of bones and teeth, and calcium deficiency is likely to aggravate seizures, so adequate amounts of vitamin D, calcium and magnesium should be supplied during childhood. Fish, eggs, animal liver, beef, green vegetables contain folic acid; rice, wheat bran, beef liver, fish contain large amounts of vitamin B6.
Epileptic patients should not be too hungry or too full, do not overeat, after consuming a lot of sweets at one time, a large amount of sugar into the blood, will stimulate the pancreas to secrete too much insulin, accelerate the metabolism of glucose, blood sugar levels first high and then low, fluctuating greatly, can induce epilepsy. Starvation can lower blood sugar, and lowering blood sugar often triggers epilepsy; overeating and overdrinking can overstress the stomach, which also triggers epilepsy. When patients have abdominal distension and vomiting, after a large amount of fluid loss, water and electrolytes should be replenished in time to maintain the water and electrolyte balance to avoid triggering epilepsy.
Beverages such as tea, coffee, cola, etc. contain more or less central excitatory substances that reduce the ability to resist seizures to induce epilepsy, so note that stimulating beverages should be lighter and in moderation.
The nicotine in cigarettes has an obvious effect on the brain and vasodilation, which can also induce epilepsy, so epileptic patients should not smoke. There is a clear relationship between alcohol and seizures, and long-term heavy drinking can directly produce alcoholic epilepsy.
All epilepsies can be treated medically. In fact, eighty percent of patients who take medication stop having seizures. However, because of the side effects of certain medications, more and more physicians are advocating diet in conjunction with medication to manage the condition.
Some studies have shown that in some rare cases, vitamin B6 and vitamin D deficiencies contribute to seizures. Vitamin B6 is found in meat, whole grains and legumes; vitamin D is found in oily fish and some animal products, especially cheese and nutrient-added milk. Patients should take vitamin supplements only under the supervision of a doctor.
Certain minerals are helpful for some patients, magnesium; zinc and calcium in helping to prevent convulsions in some people.
According to preliminary evidence, congenital epilepsy may be associated with a lack of manganese in the mother’s diet during pregnancy, but this claim is still much debated. The main sources of manganese are rice, whole wheat bread, malt, buckwheat, lima beans, nuts, mescaline, sardines, blackberries, figs and pineapples.
In a few cases, nutritional deficiencies and hypoglycemia have been associated with seizures. Therefore, patients should eat regularly and take care of balanced nutrition to maintain normal blood glucose levels.