The Nutrient that May Help Prevent Seizures

We hear a lot about the benefits of cannabis oil in the prevention and treatment of seizures but there is another natural remedy that deserves some of the spotlight. An Omega 3 fatty acid known as docosahexanoic acid (DHA) has also been found to help prevent seizures. And, fortunately, it is legal and readily available in every state.

Published in the medical journal Scientific Reports, researchers found that supplementation with DHA led to an increase in estrogen in animals, which led them to the discovery that the DHA and estrogen work together to suppress seizures. This is surprising considering estrogen has been thought by some people to aggravate seizures. This new study suggests that the DHA may yield different results. 

Seizures are symptoms of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. When we think of seizures we typically think of convulsions in which a person’s body shakes uncontrollably. Indeed, some seizures result in convulsions but not all seizures manifest themselves in this way. There can be other types of seizures known as focal seizures that occur in one part of the brain and affect the part of the body controlled by the affected part of the brain.

Epilepsy is a condition in which a person’s brain causes frequent seizures and convulsions. While head trauma, central nervous system infection, a brain tumor or stroke can cause epilepsy, often there is no clear cause. In the United States there are almost 3.5 million people who suffer from epilepsy: 3 million adults and 470,000 children.

DHA is found in many foods, including: ground flaxseeds, flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, hemp seed oil, spinach and other leafy greens, winter squashes, cauliflower, blueberries, wild rice, mangoes, pumpkin seeds and some fish like wild salmon. The oil is easily damaged by light and heat so be sure to refrigerate any foods that contain DHA, including flaxseeds, hempseeds and the oils made from them. Additionally, choose only raw, unsalted and refrigerated walnuts since most grocery store walnuts sold for baking are rancid. Because a fairly high dose of DHA may be needed to obtain the anti-seizure effects, you’ll want to eat a wide range of DHA-rich foods on a daily basis, but you may also wish to consider supplementation.

DHA supplements are sold either on their own or in a combination of DHA and EPA. If you’re supplementing with Omega 3s, choose one that contains both DHA along with EPA, which stands for eicosapentanoic acid, because the oils work best together. A typical daily dose contains 2000 milligrams of each DHA and EPA. Be sure to choose a reputable product that has been third-party laboratory tested to ensure low levels of mercury and other contaminants.

In addition to having beneficial effects for seizures, Omega 3 fatty acids have been linked to heart health (including heart recovery from a heart attack), healing effects for multiple sclerosis (MS), depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other conditions. Research in the online medical journal PlosOne also found that Omega 3 fatty acids have beneficial effects on memory.