Diet for epilepsy

The introduction of certain rules in nutrition often treat a variety of diseases, including convulsive syndrome. Indeed, there is a diet for epilepsy, which is also one of the methods of treating the disease, as well as a means of preventing secondary disorders in the patient's body. Thanks to a diet, patients can feel better for a long time.

[1], [2], [3], [4]

The essence of the diet for epilepsy

Many experiments of scientists have proved the existence of a regularity between the use of certain dishes and the occurrence of seizures of epilepsy. For a long time, doctors believed that the diet of patients with epilepsy should consist of a large number of strict limitations. But, fortunately, modern medicine does not stand still, and at this time it is proved that strictness in the diet is not necessary, it is simply necessary for patients to adhere to certain principles.

The diet of a sick person should be qualitative and balanced, with a high content of coarse-fiber plant foods. Most often, patients are prescribed vegetable-milk nutrition.

However, it is not necessary to completely exclude meat products. Each day you can include in the menu one small portion of meat, fish dishes, better cooked or cooked in a double boiler.

Of course, for patients with epilepsy, there can not exist only one particular diet. For example, if, in addition to convulsive attacks, a person periodically has headache attacks that are triggered by the ingestion of certain products, excluding them from the menu can greatly alleviate the condition. If the disease is complicated by diabetes, then convulsions can be a consequence of lowering blood glucose levels.

With prolonged treatment with medicinal products, the patient's body may suffer from a shortage of folic acid, cyanocobalamin, homocysteine, which must be taken into account when compiling a daily menu.

Ketogenic diet for epilepsy

Ketogenic diet for epilepsy implies the content in the diet of about 70% of fats, and only 30% is for proteins and carbohydrates. This diet is mainly used in children's practice.

The mechanism of ketogenic diet work consists in anticonvulsant activity of ketones - organic compounds, which are formed due to fatty decomposition and significantly reduce the stimulation of seizures by the brain. Fats, in turn, are split when there is a deficiency of glucose in the human body, during fasting, or with a sharply limited amount of carbohydrates in food. Proceeding from this, the essence of the ketogenic diet can consist in a certain combination of the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrate food in the daily diet, along with a pronounced decrease in the volume of the liquid being drunk.

Thus, a fairly sparse and monotonous diet consisting mainly of fats: vegetable oil, animal fat and fatty meat, dairy products with a high percentage of fat content (cream, butter, etc.) is prescribed. In some countries, where the incidence of epilepsy is high enough, even produce special high-fat products for such patients - these are very fatty yoghurts, a variety of curds and canned meat.

Diet for epilepsy in children

Most often in pediatric patients, it is the ketogenic diet that is used. The child is put on inpatient treatment and prescribed fasting for two to three days, after which they start dietary nutrition. Ketogenic diet the child should adhere to 2-3 days, and after that, as a rule, it is transferred to a normal diet.

Such a diet is considered especially effective in childhood from 1 year to 12 years. Often, doctors prescribe it when antiepileptic drugs do not show the expected effectiveness, or provoke the development of undesirable side effects.

The treatment of children with a diet must necessarily take place under the supervision of a specialist in baby food and a neurologist. In the early days, when the baby is hungry, he is allowed to drink only water and tea without sugar. About a day later, a quick test for the content of ketone substances in the urinary fluid is used: if ketones are sufficient, then you can start to introduce a diet with a high degree of fat content.

It is important that the doctor closely watches what the child eats, as even a small increase in the caloric content of the diet can negatively affect the effectiveness of dietary treatment.

Usually a sick child is discharged after about a week, while a decrease in the frequency of seizures during the next 3 months is noted. If the given dietary treatment in a particular patient is recognized as successful, then it is periodically repeated for 3-4 years.

Of side effects with a ketogenic diet, there is sometimes nausea, difficulty in defecation and hypovitaminosis.

[5]

Diet for epilepsy in adults

The ketogenic diet for epilepsy in adults is used somewhat less often than in children, because of certain contraindications that are relevant for age-related patients.

Because of the high content of fats in the diet, the diet is not prescribed for people with functional disorders of the liver and kidneys. The fact is that with an excess of fatty foods these organs are overloaded, and they can not cope with the excretion of metabolic products, which will lead to a relapse of chronic pathologies.

In addition, the ketogenic diet is not recommended to an epileptic patient suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system and atherosclerosis.

In all other situations, the decision on the appointment of dietary nutrition is made by the doctor, focusing on the general health of the patient and the presence of background diseases, especially chronic.

The diet of adult patients with epilepsy should consist of a variety of nutritious dishes. Particular attention is paid to products with a high content of fiber - vegetable food, bran, cereals. Such products gradually establish a qualitative intestinal peristalsis and serve as the prevention of constipation.

One of the rules of dietary nutrition is the last meal not less than 2-3 hours before going to bed.

It must be remembered that with the use of large amounts of fluid seizures can increase. Because of this, most doctors advise drinking a little water and drinks during the day, and can even prescribe diuretics for removing excess fluid from the body.

Some experts are of the opinion that the amount of salt in the diet of epileptics should be limited, but there are no scientifically proven facts of the effectiveness of this method. But the amount of easily digestible carbohydrates, in particular, ordinary sugar, still need to be limited.

[6], [7], [8]

Menu diet for epilepsy

On Monday:

• For breakfast - a salad of carrots and cottage cheese with sour cream.
• For the second breakfast - a big orange.
• We dine with borshch, meatballs for a couple with a salad.
• We have a snack with a kissel with a cracker.
• We are having dinner with fish fillet with lemon.

On Tuesday:

• We have a breakfast cottage cheese casserole.
• For the second breakfast, we prepare a fruit salad with fat yoghurt.
• For lunch - vermicelli soup with meat, bread with pate from the liver.
• Snack - a sandwich with butter and cheese.
• We have supper with a chicken roll with an egg.

On Wednesday:

• We have breakfast with an omelette with vegetables.
• For the second breakfast - cereal biscuits, juice.
• We have lunch with cheese cream soup and fish-rice casserole.
• Snack - tea with milk and crackers.
• Dinner - cabbage rolls, lettuce.

On Thursday:

• Breakfast - oatmeal porridge on milk with butter.
• For a second breakfast a fruit cocktail is suitable.
• We have lunch with lagman and potato zrazes.
• Snack is a banana.
• We have dinner with a pie with rice and stuffing.

On Friday:

• Breakfast stuffed boiled eggs.
• For the second breakfast - juice with a cheesecake.
• Lunch chicken broth and dumplings with meat.
• Snack - compote of dried fruits.
• We are having dinner with boiled pork with vegetables.

On Saturday:

• Breakfast - toast with cheese pie, jelly.
• For a second breakfast, an avocado salad is suitable.
• We have lunch with fish soup with vegetable stew.
• Snack - a biscuit biscuit, juice.
• We dine with mashed potatoes with meat sauce and salad.

On Sunday:

• We have a breakfast of sour cream with honey and sour cream.
• For the second breakfast - cottage cheese with raisins.
• We have lunch with a boiled boiled piece of meat, you can add a vegetable salad.
• Snack is a piece of melon or peach.
• We dine with a portion of ravioli with sour cream.

Diet recipes for epilepsy

Diet meals for epilepsy can and should be varied, as dietary nutrition is usually long and should be beneficial and enjoyable for the patient. We bring to your attention a few simple but delicious recipes that will help diversify the menu of the patient with epilepsy.

• Delicious meat roll. Ingredients: 700 g of any minced meat, two slices of dried bread, five chicken eggs, up to 400 g of champignons, 2 pcs. Bulbs, one carrot, some salt, cold water, sunflower oil (or other). We begin to cook: peeled washed mushrooms cut into medium pieces, chop the onions, carrots rub on the grater. We admit in a frying pan with butter mushrooms, carrots and ½ of sliced onions, add salt to taste, stir and leave to stew. In the meantime, cook three eggs, cool and clean. Average sliced. Pieces of bread moisten with water, squeeze, let's go through the meat grinder along with the remaining onions. Add meat mince, 2 raw eggs and 2 tablespoons of cold water, salt, spices. We mix. Three quarters of the stuffing is distributed on a cellophane food film in the form of a rectangle with a layer of about 15 mm. Top with a layer of mushrooms with vegetables, not reaching the edges of minced meat approximately 15 mm. Over the mushrooms distribute chopped boiled eggs and wrap the structure with roll (it is convenient to do with wet hands). Carefully transfer the roll to the oiled baking tray (you can shift it with baking paper). If the cracks are formed during the transfer, carefully lubricate them with deferred minced meat. We send it to a hot oven at a temperature of 180 ° C for about 60 minutes, until it is ready. Usually roll is served hot. Garnish can be prepared with potatoes.
• Ham and cheese salad. We need: green salad leaves, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, green onions, ham, cheese (brynza or mozzarella), boiled eggs, salt, olive oil and lemon juice. The number of ingredients is arbitrary - it still turns out delicious. We start cooking: all the ingredients are cut into medium pieces, poured with olive oil dressing with lemon juice. Add salt to taste. Simple, fast and delicious!
• Meat stew. Products: 0,5 kg of meat, 100 g of onion, two carrots, two stalks of celery, garlic to taste, 4 tomatoes, 1 tbsp. L. Tomato paste, salt, seasoning, vegetable oil, greens. Preparation: meat cut into pieces about one by two centimeters. Stew it in vegetable oil until cooked. Finely chop the onions, carrots, garlic and celery. Add to the stew and continue to simmer for about 10 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and finely chopped tomatoes (preferably without the skin), as well as salt and seasonings. Add a little water and simmer on low heat. After the ragout is ready, sprinkle with herbs and serve it to the table. Bon Appetit!

[9], [10]

What can you eat with epilepsy?

• Meat (preferably pork or beef), fish in any form.
• Chicken eggs.
• Dairy products not less than 2% fat content (cottage cheese, milk, sour milk products, cheeses, sour cream, cream, yoghurts, etc.).
• Butter and vegetable oil.
• Vegetables, fruits, herbs.

• Porridge in butter, soups and borscht, broths, by-products (liver, kidneys, heart).
• Tea, it is possible with milk, coffee (limited).
• Bakery products, cookies, gingerbread.

What can not be eaten with epilepsy?

• Any alcoholic beverages, including beer.
• Food with lots of salt.
• Marinated, pickled dishes, sauces and spicy seasonings (vinegar, pepper, horseradish, mustard).
• Smoked products.
• Chocolate and cocoa.

It is not recommended to drink a lot of liquid during the day, and also overeat, superimpose too large portions, eat hard-to-digest food (especially in the afternoon).

Reviews of the diet for epilepsy

Diet in epilepsy in most cases produces the expected positive effect, and especially this applies to the ketogenic diet. However, such a diet has its disadvantages: it is not suitable for everyone and is often poorly tolerated by patients.

In such cases, patients are prescribed virtually normal meals with a high content of meat and fatty foods, with the absolute exception of alcohol and the restriction of liquid, salt and sugar.

Of course, such a diet is also very effective, especially in combination with drug therapy and some changes in lifestyle:

• the patient must provide adequate and restful sleep;
• avoid bright and flickering light sources;
• it is important not to allow physical and moral overload.

In addition to the standard list of banned and allowed products for the disease, it is necessary to pay attention to the individual characteristics of the patient: often the patient can detect intolerance of a product that should be identified and excluded from the diet.

Indeed, in many cases, the diet for epilepsy is individual, when meals and products are selected for each patient separately. This is a long process, however, the result usually does not take long to wait - the patient's condition improves, and the frequency and intensity of attacks is reduced.