In recent years, I have heard from a number of parents who have dealt with vaccine-induced seizures in their children. I have had a keen interest in seizures for the past 40 years, but until recently we knew relatively little about what caused them and how to effectively treat them.

All that was known was that something was driving a group of brain cells to fire on their own; the process then spreads to the rest of the brain, like waves in a pond.

Over the past decade, however, neuroscientists have learned that, like so many other disorders of the brain, seizures are a combination of brain inflammation and excitotoxicity (immunoexcitotoxicity).

The brain contains special immune cells, called microglia, whose job it is to monitor the area, looking for invading microorganisms and other problems in the brain.

Should these microglia encounter an invader or an injury, they switch to an activated state until the crisis is over, then they switch back to a sleeping mode.

But sometimes these guardian cells can become stuck in an activated state. When they do, they release high levels of inflammatory chemicals called cytokines, chemokines, and interferons, along with excitotoxins such as glutamate, aspartate, and quinolinic acid.

Recent studies have shown that it is the combination of inflammation and excitatory neurotransmitters that is driving seizures. When these factors are controlled, the seizure stops.

However, drug treatments have had only limited success in controlling this process — mostly by reducing inflammation and excitotoxicity. The problem with conventional seizure drugs is that in addition to controlling those factors, they suppress brain function to such a degree that it can impair learning, especially in children.

On the other hand, a number of nutritional treatments are highly successful.

Most important is to avoid excitotoxic food additives, such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, cysteine, cystine, carrageenan, hydrolyzed proteins, soy proteins and isolates, soy sauce, autolyzed yeast, and caseinates.

Most processed foods contain one or more of those substances in toxic levels. This means that you should eat only fresh foods.

It is important to avoid all cheeses, milk concentrates, and mushrooms, as all are high in glutamate.

In addition, the following supplements can be taken to reduce the risk of excitotoxicity and seizures:

• Curcumin, quercetin, hesperidin, luteolin, resveratrol, carnosine, acetyl-L-carnitine, and ferulic acid all reduce microglial activation and excitotoxicity

• Niacinamide supplies the brain energy and prevents excitotoxicity

• DHA oil — 1,000 mg twice a day for those over 1 year old

• Magnesium citrate/malate blocks one of the main glutamate receptors involved in seizures; it is also an anti-inflammatory

• Melatonin is one of the brain’s most powerful antioxidants and is frequently low in children with neurological conditions; take 1 to 2 mg at bedtime for those with proven deficiency

For very resistant seizures, a ketogenic (high-fat, low-carbohydrate) diet often helps. It has been shown to reduce microglial activation and brain inflammation, and protect against excitotoxicity.

A person who is experiencing seizures should be tested for food allergies and intolerances, as these can drive brain immunoexcitotoxicity.

In my experience, most seizures can be controlled with diet alone. But even for difficult-to-control seizures, dietary measures will significantly improve the effectiveness of medications, and allow for lower doses and fewer side effects.

These methods also protect the brain against damage by repetitive seizures.