Hi Everyone. I hope I can be of some help.

[DogtorJ]

Oops, I think I may have goofed up. I am taking an animo acid suplement. It seems to be working, as I seem to be able to focus better, and am less tired.
It contains L-glutamic acid. It also contains:
L-alanine, L-arginine, L-aspartiv acid, L-carnitine, L-cystine, L-glycine, L-histadine, L-isoleucine, L-leucine, L-lycine, L-methionine, L-orinthine, L-phenylalanine, L-proline, L-serine, L-yhrenine, L-tryptophan, tyrosine and L-valine.
Are these good or bad? I only take two a day, they reccommend three of Amino 1500 by Now sports.
Any ideas?
Shelley

That depends on you as an individual, the health of your liver and intestines, and the amount of glutamic and aspartic acid present. A healthy gut and liver convert glutamic acid (glutamate) to the neurologically inactive form, glutamine, which is in turn important for the health and integrity of the bowel. For an epilleptic or one suffering from another excitotoxin related condition (e.g. ALS, MS, Parkinson's, insomnia, fibromyalgia, etc.), I would prefer that the supplements did not contain glutamic and aspartic acids, both of which are NON-essential amino acids, meaning our body makes all that it needs from other proteins. I'm sure that a supplement like this could be tolerated by many individuals with epilepsy. But I could easily believe that it could be a trigger for seizures in others, just as consuming MSG or aspartame can do.

The problem is that once an individual is on anti-epileptic drugs, it is hard to see the direct connection that we have observed so frequently in the dog and in people who are not on medication. In the dog, the typical interval between eating glutamate-rich foods (e.g. gluten grains, dairy and soy) and seizing has been 4-6 hours. This is classic for the "bound" forms (locked in foods) of these excitotoxins. However, people have reported seizures in less than an hour after consuming MSG or Nutrasweet...the "free" forms of these neurostimulating amino acids. With a supplement like this, I would imagine the interval would be quite short if it was going to cause a problem except for the postponing effect of anti-epileptic drugs.

I certainly understand why human neurologist's are quick to prescribe anti-epileptic drugs for children and adults with epilepsy. I just wish this was not the case as it takes away the obvious cause-and-effect conclusions that we can easily draw in so many cases of food-related seizures. Once on drugs, things usually change although I have still seen and heard of individuals exhibiting the typical 4-6 hour post-meal interval while on anti-epileptic drugs.

(By the way, this is same interval experienced by countless "insomniacs" who wake up like a shot at 1-2 Am after eating dinner and DESSERT 4-6 hours earlier. This was my pattern for years and years but has now completely subsided after being free of these foods.)

I hope this helps,
John

[Shelley]

So, which ones are essential? I shall look for the one with only these.

[Bernard]

John,

I was digging around for information for the magnesium and epilepsy discussion and came across two items that got me to thinking about all the seizure control diets:

• Magnesium is a powerful glutamate inhibitor
• food sources for magnesium:

  To enrich the diet naturally with this mineral, look to nuts, legumes, and unmilled grains. Removing the germ of cereals and the outer seed husks eliminates 80 percent of any magnesium present in the whole grain. Green vegetables and bananas are also relatively good sources of the mineral. You won’t find much, however, in other fruits or fish, meat, and milk.

All of the seizure control diets, directly (GARD) or indirectly (ketogenic, modified atkins, low glycemic index treatment), effectively restrict/eliminate processed/milled grains from the diet. I wonder if the real reason these diets are working is because of the ratio of dietary magnesium to glutamate.

If that hypothesis is correct, high glutamate foods which are currently restricted by the GARD diet (grains, legumes) should be OK to eat as long as they are eaten in their whole food (unmilled/unprocessed) forms.

I know you have discussed other issues with legumes such as lectins, but I'm wondering if mother nature isn't just a tad bit smarter than us (in building in the very tools our bodies need to correctly process *natural* foods).

Thoughts?

[execwife2002]

OK, so if I'm understanding correctly cornall together is a no no. I just started my son who is 19 yrs. old with mostly nocturnal grand mal seizures since age 12 1/2 on the GARD diet. He had already eliminated aspartame, splenda and caffeine. Now we are working on the Gluten part of it. I know everyone shows signs at different times, but what is the usual expectant time frame to see iany progress. Or is it just a sit and wait game?
Marian

[DogtorJ]

John,

I was digging around for information for the magnesium and epilepsy discussion and came across two items that got me to thinking about all the seizure control diets:

• Magnesium is a powerful glutamate inhibitor
• food sources for magnesium:

All of the seizure control diets, directly (GARD) or indirectly (ketogenic, modified atkins, low glycemic index treatment), effectively restrict/eliminate processed/milled grains from the diet. I wonder if the real reason these diets are working is because of the ratio of dietary magnesium to glutimate.

If that hypothesis is correct, high glutimate foods which are currently restricted by the GARD diet (grains, legumes) should be OK to eat as long as they are eaten in their whole food (unmilled/unprocessed) forms.

I know you have discussed other issues with legumes such as lectins, but I'm wondering if mother nature isn't just a tad bit smarter than us (in building in the very tools our bodies need to correctly process *natural* foods).

Thoughts?

The key thing to see is that magnesium is absorbed primarily by the duodenum, where the "big 4" (gluten, casein, soy and corn) do their main damage. That same area is where calcium, iron, iodine, B complex/folate, C, zinc, manganese and other trace elements are absorbed. That is why celiacs, for example, are the "who's who" of what goes wrong with people (and pets).

Processing these grains (e.g. white flour) makes the gluten/lectins more available to do their harm. BUT, once sensitized, the individual cannot handle even the gluten in whole wheat products. If the bread sticks together, there is gluten available for harm unless they have used gums and other "glues" to hold it together, which they do in gluten-free breads. But if you're going to do that...use gums to hold whole wheat together...why use it at all, if it is not going to even be available for digestion??? See the "pretzel" logic here?

The Father Nature (smile) you refer to IS correct...those foods that are likely to block the absorption of a substance are often rich in that substance.The Creation is perfect in that regard. Milk is the glaring example. It is LOADED with calcium but most of it is unavailable due to the blocking effect of casein.I t is an epidemiological fact that the countries that drink the most cow milk have the worst osteoporosis and that is because casein blocks calcium absorption (especially in pasteurized milk and cheese) and it also induces villous atrophy in susceptible individuals, which further blocks calcium absorption. Therefore, dairy is the absolute worst source of calcium followed by cereal grains...and now soy (errrh).

But talk about the beauty of Creation: The foods that are THE most likely to induce seizures (dairy and gluten grains) through their lectins and malabsorption syndromes are also the very ones that will innately reduce calcium absorption. Why is that "beautiful"??? Because in seizure physiology, glutamate is the GUN but calcium is the BULLET. In other words, glutamate stimulates the influx of calcium into the next neuron and THAT is what causes the neuron to either be over-stimulated or die. So (how cool is this?), the foods that are the most likely to cause the neurons and glial cells (those controlling the level of glutamate at the synapse) to dysfunction are the very same foods that block the absorption of calcium at the gut level. If they didn't, there would be even more available calcium at the synapse, which could worsen the problem.

Love it when The Plan comes together.

But what is man's answer? "Fortify the milk, wheat, and even the orange juice." We are all under the deception that we need soooo much more calcium that we actually require.

The proof is found in the animal kingdom where none of them consume any of
these things we are discussing (the gluten grains and corn are man-made and man-cultivated and along with soy and milk would not be available to ANY animals naturally) and many of which grow to be huge with big, thick
bones while existing on a diet of grass and hay. Think of elephants,
giraffes, and the like all of which were weaned from mom when they tripled
their birth weight. Think of the dinosaurs, many of which were vegetarian
from the start and we are still digging their bones out of the ground.
Osteoporosis does not exist in the wild animal kingdom.

In fact, too much calcium actually contributes to osteoporosis. The cells
that perform the function of moving calcium in and out of bone apparently
can do this action a limited number of times before they die. If asked to
deal with too much calcium, they will die prematurely. This has been written
up in the medical literature. This and the point of malabsorption are both
contributing factors in the epidemiological fact that the countries that
drink the most milk develop the highest rates of osteoporosis. With dairy
making up nearly 45% of our calories in the US, you would think that if milk
and cheese were the answers to osteoporosis, we wouldn't have it here. BUT,
we LEAD the world along with Scandinavia in the incidence of osteoporosis.
They love their cheese, too. In the countries like those in southeast Asia
(Cambodia, Laos, S.Vietnam) where they drink very little milk, none of their
110 year old people fall over and break their hip, the main criterion used
for the incidence of osteoporosis.

So, the bottom line is to use common sense. Avoid the unnatural and man-made
foods that block the calcium we can get naturally from those sources that
can provide all that we need (meats, fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds). When in
doubt, think naturally.

I hope this helps,

John

[bob26]

Hi RobinN,

I saw you entry on Dogtorj's Blog. I do not have epilepsy, but I have, for most of my life, suffered from mood swings, fatigue, brain fog and a lot of irritability. Most if not all went away when I went on Atkins, which I followed religiously, I did it for the weight loss (10 yrs ago) and was completely surprised by the mood changes. At the time I didn't know about gluten or casein intolerance, so when I got down to 145# I started adding small things here and there and the symptoms returned. Didn't have the inter-net at the time. Long story short there is another culprit, "fructose". I thought I'd pass on this info, I'm not trying to suggest any treatment, knowledge is power. I've tried to pass this on to Dogtorj but he's been so busy since the pet food problem.

Some links that might be of use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructose_malabsorption

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...t=Abstracthttp

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...&dopt=Abstract


By the way my diet consist of meat (beef & chicken) and potatoes ( white or russet, no yams ), some people on a fructose free diet can tolerate white rice but not brown, yes, its very restrictive, but its just a matter of looking at food as a fuel we put in our bodies, and this is coming from a former card carrying junk food junkie.

[Bernard]

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum.

... some people on a fructose free diet can tolerate white rice but not brown...

That sounds strange. White rice is a simple carbohydrate and breaks down into sugars quickly (which can provoke an insulin reaction). Brown (whole grain) rice is a complex carbohydrate which breaks down into sugars more slowly.

[brain]

Bob

Welcome to the forum!

Have you considered Wild Rice? Which
isn't rice at all, but a type of grass? I
use it sparingly in veggies, in fact, after
when it's cooked, you can even use it in
salads! While people "gawk" that it being
expensive and taking so long to cook and
others reserving it for 'holiday' use only.

This is what I do:

Those small Zip Loc Freezer bags
(YES - they FREEZE WELL!)

After cooking per directions on package
or container:

I divide everything into portions, whether
to be used as a topper on a bread (even
cornbread - try it) to mixing in with veggies
to topping on poultry & fish <--- really good
on top of fish!

All you need to do is either: warm it up
slightly in microwave or add it the last few
minutes (like on top of fish) for that little
crunchiness.

One unique thing I do with fish is adding the
Fried Onions (just a little bit) and Wild Rice
on top of the broiled or baked fish at the last
minute - and it's really yummy!

(Have you ever tried Onion Juice instead of
Lemon or Lime Juice on Salmon? Especially
smoked Salmon? Just a little bit? Brings out
a unique taste! Even a little olive oil with
garlic works too - which brings a change of
pace and flavor!)

[RobinN]

The key thing to see is that magnesium is absorbed primarily by the duodenum, where the "big 4" (gluten, casein, soy and corn) do their main damage.
John

Unless you supplement with an ionic variety, which is absorbed directly into the blood stream.
(to the best of my knowledge)

[bob26]

Bernard and brain,

I'm not sure why some foods are tolerated better than others, there are so many variables, individual DNA, etc., I've found that only you can determine what foods you can tolerate through an elimination diet. I was eating a very simple diet of meat, broccoli and cauliflower, well withing the GARD guidelines and feeling lousy, I mean real lousy, when I stumbled upon the fructose problem. As I'm reading the article on fructose and sorbitol I remembered that I had started on a new brand of sublingual B12 and that it was sweet, I looked at the bottle, the first 2 ingredients were "fructose and sorbitol", I threw the bottle away along with the veggies and within 48hrs went from real lousy to just fine. Also no skins on the potatoes, Why ? I don't know or don't remember right now.

[RobinN]

Bob - I didn't mean to ignore you. Welcome. Yes I have been in contact with Dr John for about a year. He was the only one making sense in a medical world that was totally pointing me in the wrong direction. He told me to use common sense, and my answers would be available to me. I continue to do that within a few boundaries, and I see a bit more clearly.
Did you ever get a test to see what you might have intolerances to? I have considered that for my daughter. Making my way through alternative tests can be a bore.
I was just reading the other day, how potatoes are toxic to us in their raw state, so maybe they are not meant for us to eat cooked. I haven't stopped yet, but it was an interesting concept. We were designed to eat raw... many moons ago.

[bob26]

Bob - Making my way through alternative tests can be a bore.
I was just reading the other day, how potatoes are toxic to us in their raw state, so maybe they are not meant for us to eat cooked. I haven't stopped yet, but it was an interesting concept. We were designed to eat raw... many moons ago.

Hi RobinN,

I haven't been tested, I'm not a big fan of M.D.'s for this kind of thing, trauma and infectious disease, yes but for this I haven't had much luck with them, the last medical pro. I spoke with look me right square in the eye and said there is no such thing a hypoglycemia, I haven't been back since.
I agree we are not eating in a way that is compatible with our bodies design that's why the fructose problem makes sense to me, bananas, pineapples, mangoes etc are not native to Europe and what fruit is native is seasonal when people were more active. I'm a little saddened when I hear someone claim they are a Vegetarian for ethical or moral reasons, the mind/ego can't make that determination. If I remember correctly the potato is a new world food and it might not be compatible with we of European decent, but for now a boy's gotta eat something, LOL.
According to the literature I've read about 30% of Europeans are fructose malabsorbers to some degree. One of the problems with this food sensitivity thing , different symptom for different people, that's why I prefer the elimination diet, but as I mentioned I stumble onto it just by following the Adkins diet.

[Shelley]

Forgive my ignorance, but wasn't there a potato famine in Ireland? Or was that a new world food brought over from this side of the pond?
Curious, what foods were brought from there to here and vice versa?

[Bernard]

I'm a little saddened when I hear someone claim they are a Vegetarian for ethical or moral reasons, the mind/ego can't make that determination.

99% of the earth's population (yes, I pulled that figure from thin air - I'll bet it's closer to the truth than it is to hyperbole) doesn't even bother to make conscious decisions about their diet - they just eat whatever they are used to eating or what tastes good.

Humans in general are extremely irrational. Just because we know something is not good for us doesn't mean we will stop doing it.

[Shelley]

I was told to avoid any foods that are white. This is why I eat yams, brown rice, and as many unrefined processed things I can. Notice one of the white foods is milk.