A 2019 study at Penn State University, USA, found that a small compound found in raw honey can inhibit epileptic seizures. An international team of scientists found that gluconate, found naturally in raw honey, acts as an anticonvulsant.
Anticonvulsants inhibit seizures by targeting the flow of chloride ions into and out of the brain cells. Read on to find out more about honey and epilepsy.
If you have epilepsy, you know how difficult it can be to live with the condition. People with epilepsy face more seizures than the average person and are more likely to experience one in public. This can make them feel embarrassed or ashamed, which can lead to depression and anxiety. Fortunately, honey has been shown to reduce the severity and frequency of seizures in some patients with epilepsy.
What Is Epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a brain disorder that affects the way your brain works. It's caused by abnormal electrical activity in your brain that can cause seizures. The seizures can be triggered by something like a sudden fright or an injury to the head, but they can also happen spontaneously.
When someone has epilepsy and experiences these seizures, they may have a fit or convulsion where their muscles become stiff and rigid for several seconds to minutes at a time.
While antiepileptic drugs are widely available, however, they are ineffective in controlling seizures in 30% of patients suffering from epilepsy.
The Body's Response To Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a neurological disorder with which over 600 people are diagnosed every week in the U.K. alone. The body's response to epilepsy often includes physical symptoms like shaking or muscle spasms, but there are also some mental side effects such as feeling sad or depressed after an episode.
It’s important to understand how the brain responds to seizures and convulsions so you can manage them better. For example, when a person has a seizure that lasts longer than five minutes their brain chemicals become imbalanced which can lead to other mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders.
How Can Raw Organic Honey Help With Epilepsy?
While the exact cause of epilepsy is still unknown, it's been theorised that oxidative stress and damage from free radicals may play a role. Antioxidants are thought to be effective at reducing this oxidative stress. Raw honey contains many antioxidants including flavonoids like apigenin and luteolin, phenols like caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein (which is also found in kale), polyphenols such as quercetin (found in apples and onions).
Depression associated with epilepsy is mainly caused by the predisposition of tryptophan levels. Quercetin restores tryptophan levels, countering the depressive effect of epilepsy. Other flavonoids also have strong anticonvulsant effects, minimising the behavioural symptoms of a seizure.
B vitamins present in raw organic honey can actually reduce the frequency of seizures by preventing brain cell death. Just one tablespoon of raw honey provides 1% of your daily need for B6 (pyridoxine), which helps regulate blood sugar levels; folate; riboflavin; thiamine; niacin; pantothenic acid; biotin.
Using Raw Organic Honey To Calm Epilepsy Symptoms At Home
Honey is not a cure for epilepsy. But daily usage of raw organic honey can help to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms. Always speak to your doctor before making major changes to your diet to relieve a medical condition.
Drink a glass of raw organic honey water 30 minutes before breakfast.
Take a teaspoon of raw organic honey, add it to warm water, then drink on an empty stomach.
Water activates the nutrients and enzymes in raw organic honey and the 30 minutes allows the body time to fully absorb it before anything else enters it.
Only use real honey, not fake honey:
Remember that the honey you use must be real honey. Commercially processed cheap honey such as that found in supermarkets has lost most of its properties. It is no better than sugar in water.
Only use raw organic honey. Raw means the honey is unpasteurised and has not been heat treated. Organic means the honey is independently certified to be free of chemicals and antibiotics harmful to humans.
Given that epilepsy is predominantly a neurological disorder, we recommend using Raw Organic Rainforest Honey From Brazil when using for this condition. This honey comes from the mimosa pink silk tree, the extracts of which have been used for many centuries in treating other neurological disorders.
