Herbsprout.com

It’s been known that diet creates some sort of shift in the gut’s microflora. Their functions in our digestive system influence a variety of neurological functions including those that influence epilepsy.

 

“The complexity of the brain, the hundreds of bacterial species that comprise the gut microbiome and the diversity of metabolites make it almost impossible to discern how bacteria impact brain function,” says Woo Kyu Kang, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Alkema lab of UMass Chan Medical School, author of the current study.

 

In the study Kang, who worked with co-author Mark Alkema, fed diets of a single bacterial species, a mutant C. elegans, with their ability to produce vitamin B12. According to Dr. Alkema and Kang, vitamin B12 reduces the levels of choline in the body, a compound found in various foods that metabolizes fat in the liver, leading to increased seizures.

 

While C.elegans is believed to reduce epileptic side effects due to its vitamin B12 production, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus have been linked to positive effects on mood, stress, and cognitive function.

 

A mice study by lead authors, UCLA molecular biologist Gregory Lum and Elaine Hsiao, found that the keto diet; fat-rich, carbohydrate-poor diets somehow reduce the risk of seizures in those with refractory epilepsy, according to a January 02 2024 Science Alert report.