Epilepsy is a chronic non communicable disease of the brain that affects around 50 million people worldwide. It is characterized by recurrent seizures, which are brief episodes of involuntary movement that may involve a part of the body (partial) or the entire body (generalized) and are sometimes accompanied by loss of consciousness and control of bowel or bladder function.
The area of fault lies in the brain. Brain controls all the functions of the body through electric signals. In people with epilepsy the brain sends out wrong signals which cause seizures. These seizures are of different types – some seizures cause muscle contractions and shaking of limbs in unison while some lead to loss of consciousness or a trance-like state. There is no cure for this, but medications to control seizures are available. Other important approaches to help epilepsy patients lead a healthy living lifestyle includes dietary modifications.
A balanced diet from different food groups helps the body and brain to function, helping us to stay healthy. This may help reduce the risk of seizures for some people with epilepsy. Making your own meals gives more control over what you eat, and some things can help make cooking safer if you have seizures.
Diet tips
- Eliminate simple sugar
- Eat whole, natural foods
- Ketogenic diet is also have been proven effective in epilepsy treatment (specially for children with epilepsy)
The “classic” ketogenic diet is a special high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that helps to control seizures in some people with epilepsy. It is prescribed by a physician and carefully monitored by a dietitians.