Epilepsy and its symptoms
More than 1.5 million North Americans have some form of epilepsy, recurrent seizures triggered by abnormal electrical impulses in the brain. Some seizures are so mild and fleeting that they are barely noticeable; others last for several minutes, during which the person falls down and is seized by convulsive movements. The frequency of seizures also varies from person to person; some epileptics suffer many seizures each day, while others may go for months between episodes.
Neurologists generally discount any link between diet and epilepsy, with some exceptions. Epileptics who have migraine headaches that are triggered by certain foods often cease to have seizures when the offending foods are eliminated. Some diabetics suffer seizures when their blood sugar levels drop suddenly. Large amounts of alcohol consumed in a short time can cause seizures. Although evidence is sketchy, there have been rare reports of aspartame triggering seizures in epileptics.
