So we know the brain halts seizure by raising acidity and that CO2 is protective of the brain:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7761212
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/co2.shtml
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2673408/
How to raise CO2 may begin in the gut.
I've been learning about microbial
free fatty acids of gut origin (implicated in diabetes and obesity) hindering mitochondrial production of CO2.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC441163/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12028371
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21624/
So, how to block free fatty acids of gut origin? Balancing flora is the long term solution. But in the short term, there are some natural approaches:
1)
gelatin: I've talked a lot about using gelatin to halt what would have been horrific 3-day seizure clusters in my dog to one seizure by immediately fasting her for 24 hours and giving her therapeutic doses of Great Lakes beef gelatin, 1-2 tablespoons about 4x/day. I've considered the mechanism soothing/coating the gut lining while trapping clostridium toxins which are known to cause seizure. We also know gelatin has high glycine content important to calm the brain as well as high alanine, precursor of carnosine known to calm kindling in amygdalas. But now I'm learning
gelatin also traps free fatty acids which may allow CO2 production. Here are two illustrative examples:
Effect of Gelatin Coating on Fatty Acid Composition of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) During Refrigerated-Storage
http://www.idosi.org/wjfms/wjfms4(5)12/7.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11409998
2)
Niacinamide (also called
nicotinamide) somehow reduces/restrains free fatty acids. The more I learn about niacinamide supplementation, a natural component of the body, the more I like. It's actually a long term solution in balancing flora, activating innate immunity, raising NAD to raise ATP. It's antifungal and is even known to help the immune system tackle MRSA. Here's a study where nicotinamide (and caloric restriction) was injected to reduce free fatty acids in plasma:
http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/44/8/863.short
One other supplement I believe is very powerful in balancing pH is
OptiMSM in therapeutic dose. This is the most pure form of MSM, organic sulfur, made by distillation, well known to balance pH by raising alkalinity. MSM and lauric acid in coconut oil make cell walls more permeable allowing acid waste out and antimicrobial peptides in to balance intracellular organisms. As discussed earlier, there may be inverse relationship between blood and brain pH due to acid shearing of the blood-brain barrier creating brain alkalosis. Metabolic acidosis is part of microbial overgrowth in the gut. Microbes such as fungi rely on high acid for growth where MSM is a known antifungal.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130924122458.htm
There seem to be so many benefits, including rebuilding gut lining, balancing pH toward alkalinity, making glutathione work . . . and completely non-toxic. Sulfur is also required to build collagen possibly needed to repair damage in the brain.
Is it well known epileptics have high triglycerides? Triglycerides are the result of free fatty acids combined with glycerol, another product of microbial imbalance. Here are two studies:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18922053
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/227221