Food Intolerance, Viruses and Epilepsy

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DogtorJ

G.A.R.D. Diet Guru
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Hi Everyone,

I hope that you have had a chance to read my introductory post. If not, it is here:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f20/hi-everyone-i-hope-i-can-some-help-1314/

It gives you a bit of an overview of what I have been working on for the past 7 years: The relationship between diet and epilepsy. But of course, if we are going to call something a "cause", then we had better be prepared to explain why it doesn't cause the same result in all individuals. For example, if we say "Gluten causes seizures", then we have to explain why not all who consume gluten have seizures? Very good question, which (rightfully) forces us to go to a deeper level for the true...and distinguishing...cause.

It has been an interesting mission to try to help distinguish between causes and triggers. (This started out as a mission for epileptic pets but has turned into a quest for answers to human problems as a rising number of people started employing the elimination diet.) But all we really have to do is keep the above premise in mind.

MSG, aspartame, high levels of dietary glutamate (found in gluten, casein, SOY, nuts, and other foods), lectins, pollutants, fluorescent lights, and more can all be triggers or contributing factors. For example, I am convinced that thimersol in vaccines (with the mercury it contains) is a significant contributing factor in autism but it can't be THE CAUSE. If it were, all who received the vaccines woul be autistic. So, we should not be surprised at Big Pharma defending their product and saying how ridiculous the notion is that thimersol causes autism. They are "right"...if we insist on using the term "cause".

So, what is the ultimate cause of idiopathic epilepsy? I believe the cause(s) is(are) the virus(es) in our brain. Rather than go into a long dissertation, I will reprint the letter I sent to RobinN summarizing my views on the topic. It should dove-tail nicely with the thread you have going on about viruses and epilepsy.

I hope it helps,

John

***********************
Hey Robin,

It's great to hear from you again. And that's exciting to hear (about the diet being discussed on the forum). I keep thinking "This is the year!" and it's turning out to be 2007. :)

As you probably know, periods of time are often divided into 7-year increments and have been for millennia. I had my initial "revelation" about the (coming) impact of celiac disease and other food intolerances in April of 2000. It was about this time in 2000 that I was all excited about how epileptic dogs were responding to the diet. Of course, logic dictated that humans would respond in like fashion. After all, I had read about celiac children with epilepsy responding dramatically to gluten-free diets. As it turns out, those that didn't simply needed to restrict more things.

But the puzzle wasn't complete until I learned about the true nature of viruses...and the things that made them mad. That information came in April of 2006. Following that lead has pretty much put the puzzle together and showed how the lectins of the "big 4" (gluten, dairy, soy ands corn) along with chemicals/pollutants/carcinogens and malnutrition all contribute to that viral "uprising".

There are over 25 viruses known to cause seizures in people, many of which are chronic, latent and ubiquitous. These include Epstein Barr and a variety of herpes viruses, measles, mumps, and the Coxsackie virus, the guy who causes anything from mild, inapparent symptoms to severe illness. The latter is a clue and speaks to the spectrum of illness we experience, dictated greatly by the state of our health and immune system at the time of acquisition.

So, I now believe that the true underlying "cause" of epilepsy is the virus, some of which are embedded in our very genome. Researchers now believe that up to 40% of the genetic codes in our double-stranded DNA are actually viral codes placed there by past and present viruses (e.g. retroviruses), many of which are transmitted vertically (inherited). Sort of puts a new light on "genetics", doesn't it?

And the main role of the virus is to facilitate adaptation (as well as cause variation in nature). Many of the "diseases" we see are actually the result of viral adaptation, including cancer. Cancer arises in areas of chronic inflammation and the tumor is the viruses way of enduring the inflammation. I believe that epilepsy is no different. I now see the purpose and value in a seizure, with them being both therapeutic and acting as a warning sign. No matter what we die of, the brain dies from excess glutamate (glutamic acid) building up in the brain and killing neurons (just as it does in peripheral nerves in Lou Gehrig's Disease or ALS). It is called the "glutamate cascade". The seizure is the brain's way of dealing with excess glutamate at the synapse so that the neuron doesn't die. In that way, it is a rescue phenomenon. Therfore, they ARE therapeutic. It's just that we are doing soooooo much wrong that the seizures become incredibly frequent and violent, requiring medical intervention. The good news is that we can help tremendously by eliminating the true causes. That should make sense.

And that's what the diet is all about....the elimination of the foods and additives that are both triggering seizures and generating the inflammation that is leading to the viral "uprising". Then "all" we have to focus on are the environmental issues (air pollution, fluoride, mercury, etc.) that are also playing a role. The good news is that the foods are playing the biggest role, as proven by the dramatic results we have seen in dogs and rapidly growing number of humans. And the other good news is that we don't have to endure ketosis to experience these gains. NONE of the dogs that have stopped seizing (completely) on the diet had to come anywhere near ketosis to get it done. Thankfully, the medical profession is starting to see this for themselves with the use of the "modified Atkins diet", a diet that eliminates some but not all of what I recommend we restrict in the G.A.R.D. They're close but their failures can easily be explained through the eyes of the G.A.R.D..

I'm excited that you are discussing this on the forum. I would be glad to jump in there. Perhaps we can even post this letter as a sort of introduction if you want to. I will try to get on-line with you as soon as I can.

Thanks again for the contact,

John
 
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