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Can A Gluten-Free Diet Cure Epilepsy?

What does a celiac disease have to do with epilepsy? Epileptic seizures can be a symptom of gluten intolerance, some studies support this. In which cases is a self-experiment worthwhile?

People with celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten protein, which is found in most cereals. Those affected usually suffer from abdominal pain, diarrhea or flatulence, feel tired and weak, and lose weight. Symptoms usually improve when you switch to a gluten-free diet.

Celiac disease can also be behind neurological symptoms

But the celiac disease can not only be noticeable through digestive problems. Joint pain or depression can also be caused by gluten intolerance. Again and again, doctors report cases in which celiac disease is behind the neurological symptoms – for example, in the case of epileptic seizures or headaches. In some cases, patients do not have any of the typical symptoms of celiac disease, such as abdominal pain.

At this year’s Congress for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine in Cologne, Professor Klaus-Peter Zimmer from the Gießen University Hospital reported on the case of a seven-year-old girl who had suffered from epileptic seizures for two years. After a two-year gluten-free diet, the girl was seizure-free. The professor also referred to a study published in 2012 that showed that celiac disease patients have a 42 percent increased risk of developing epilepsy.

Diet change instead of epilepsy medication?

So can a gluten-free diet replace epilepsy medication? Possibly yes – if the patients also suffer from celiac disease. This was shown by a study published in 2016 by scientists at Iran’s Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.

The study involved 113 epilepsy patients aged 16-42 years. Using a blood test and additional tissue samples from the small intestine, the researchers diagnosed celiac disease in seven subjects (six percent). Three of them had weekly epileptic seizures and four had about one seizure a month.

The seven subjects were now instructed to eat gluten-free for five months. At the end of the five months, six of them were seizure-free and were able to stop taking their epilepsy medication. The seventh could at least halve his medication dose.

Gluten-free diet – these foods are taboo

It can therefore be worthwhile for children or adults with epilepsy to try a gluten-free diet themselves – even if they do not suffer from abdominal pain or other digestive problems. For the self-experiment, you should avoid all foods that contain wheat, rye, spelled, oats, barley, unripe spelled, or Kalmut – such as pasta, bread, and other baked goods. However, gluten can also be found in other foods because it is used as a binding and gelling agent in many finished products: For sauces, soups, puddings, mustard, chocolate, spice mixtures, ice cream, sausage products, fries and croquettes, you should therefore check the list of ingredients. Gluten has had to be listed on this for several years. Rice, corn, millet, potatoes, buckwheat, and soybeans are suitable alternatives to cereals containing gluten.

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Written by Crystal Nelson

I am a professional chef by trade and a writer at night! I have a bachelors degree in Baking and Pastry Arts and have completed many freelance writing classes as well. I specialized in recipe writing and development as well as recipe and restaurant blogging.

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