Food and Food Additives Known to Cause Seizures

Monosodium glutamate (also known as MSG, gelatin, calcium caseinate,  hydorlyzed vegetable protein, textured protein, monopotassium glutamate, hydrolyzed plant protein, yeast extract, glutamate, autolyzed plant protein yeast, glutamic acid, sodium caseinate, autolyzed yeast) is commonly used as a flavor enhancer found in packaged foods and in some restaurants. Check the labeling or ask the restaurant.

Caffeine-Caffeine can be in coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, most soft drinks, aspirin, etc… Check the labeling. Labels that read “decaffeinated” are not totally free of caffeine. To be sure the label should read “No Caffeine,” or “Caffeine Free”, or indicate that the substance never contained caffeine at all. Theobromine is very similar to caffeine, and it is often a metabolite of caffeine. It is most prevalent in tea and chocolate.

Theophylline- is an asthma drug that is very similar to theobromine.

Estrogen- is a hormone produced in abundance by women but less so in men. Estrogen can be in meats, dairy products, and other foods. It is always in birth control pills, for Women if you have more seizures around your period this is an indication that your hormones are out of balance. Talk about this with your physician and epilepsy specialist as some extra progesterone might help.

Soy- Can cause problems very much like estrogen due to the phytoestrogens it hold. It is prevalent in tofu, soy sauce, soy beans, edamame, miso, natto, shoyu, tamari, tempeh, texturized vegetable protein, TVP, soy milk, soy nuts, soy grits, soy protein, soy protein isolate, soybean paste/curd, sobee, kyodofu, soy sprouts, soy flour.

Aspartame-Also known as nutrasweet, equal, spoonful, benevia, natrataste, etc.

Cured Meats-Nitroso compounds in hot dogs, sausages, cured hams, etc. Can cause many neurological problems including seizures.