Ketogenic diet and intractable epilepsy.?!


Question: Ketogenic diet and intractable epilepsy!.!?
I have a niece with severe epilepsy and after the doctors have tried all sorts of drugs on her, she seems to be doing much much better on a ketogenic diet!. That is, a diet high in fact that causes her to excrete ketones in her urine!. What I want to know is why does it work!? Any ideas!?Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
The traditional ketogenic diet consists of four parts fat to one part protein and carbohydrate !. The high fat content and extremely low carbohydrate content produces a persistent ketosis, which appears to have a direct anti-seizure effect, probably mediated through several mechanisms !. These mechanisms are not clear but probably involve hyper polarizing and stabilizing neuronal function in the central nervous system!. The level of ketosis can be monitored daily in the urine and, intermittently, in the serum!. The nutritional content of all meals must be calculated and each food item weighed or measuredWww@Answer-Health@Com

The ketogenic diet works by changing the balance of two neurotransmitters, GABA and glutamate, in the brain!. On a ketogenic diet, GABA increases, and glutamate decreases!. This is because burning glucose causes the body to make more glutamate, and burning fat causes the body to make less!. Glutamate acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter!. It causes neurotransmitters to fire!. GABA inhibits the firing of neurons!.
Also, this diet eliminates the main culprit of epilepsy which is MSG (Monosodium glutamate)!. Part of the treatment plan for epilepsy should be an MSG free diet!. Your good doctors will make this part of their treatment of this condition!. If you go to the sources I've listed you will see just how this diet is helping your niece!.
Good luck to you and I hope this info helps!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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