Help, my child has accidentally consumed a food source of glutamate. How can I help them calm down?!?
We’ve all been there before, and I am convinced I have some PTSD from adverse reactions like this. Immediately* following a dietary infraction, we give a capsule of activated charcoal (opened and poured into a glass of water…it will turn the water black). We also try to increase fibrous vegetables and water consumption to help detox on a cellular level. If you find yourself in a bit of crisis mode, look at this post for additional ways to lower glutamate.
Activated Charcoal: Activated Charcoal acts as a great natural binder for toxin removal. It is excellent to keep it on hand for accidental dietary infractions, stomach bugs, detox, and hangovers. You can even make a paste of it or apply it topically to whiten teeth, reduce blemishes, or even as a natural deodorant. While activated charcoal can be incredibly beneficial, it is also very constipating and should be used in moderation. I also understand that it can damage the gut, so we avoid ingesting this unless we’ve had an accidental dietary infraction or are managing powerful detox.
WATER! Please encourage them to drink plenty of water to help flush their system.
Epsom Salts: Epsom salt baths are a great way to increase magnesium levels and help the body detox naturally. We started with 1/4 cup of salts in a bath filled with just enough water to cover the belly button and worked our way up in frequency from there. When in the tub, we allow for a long soak and do not rinse with fresh water following the soak. If you can’t take a full Epsom salt bath soak, simply soaking the feet may help. Many often use baking soda or bentonite clay in this process, although we do not. If you see an increase in foul-smelling gas or hyperactivity following the baths, it may indicate a sulfur sensitivity. Here is my recipe for what we call our Glutamate Lowering Salt Soak
Frankincense & Bergamot Essential Oil: We are not a huge essential oil family, but we became believers in them after trying frankincense. It continues to be one of our most frequently used remedies to date. Frankincense and bergamot have been studied for their neuroprotective qualities, specifically regarding glutamate. They are also hugely anti-inflammatory.
Magnesium: Magnesium is hugely important as it sits on the NMDA (glutamate) glutamate receptor, can prevent excitotoxicity, calms the body by establishing a balance between glutamate & GABA, help stabilize mast cells, helps relieve constipation/headaches, and so on. Because of these properties, it can be essential to follow a dietary infraction. We typically use leafy greens, squash/pumpkin seeds, and other whole foods as our sources of magnesium. See the above comments on magnesium regarding supplementation.
Homeopathy: homeopathy is unlike traditional medicine and is hugely dependent on the state of the person and its symptoms. (I would NOT advise taking these unless you’re working under the care of a practitioner) However, here are some of the remedies we’ve used to help.
Nux Vomica- While I will admit that I have not used this with my son for acute dietary infractions, I have successfully used it for myself. I have not used it with him because I don’t want to stray from our overall healing progress with our practitioner. Nux vomica is an excellent remedy to help the body eliminate toxins.
Chamomilla Matricaria- is our crisis mode remedy for our son as it inhibits glutamate because of its high concentration of the flavonoid apigenin. This remedy helps restore balance when he seems overwhelmed, irritable, emotional, and aggressive.