Over 1 million people around the world suffer from MS, multiple sclerosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MS is an inflammatory disease that causes most people to become disabled, says the CDC. If you have MS, you might want to try the Swank Diet to determine if the physician-developed plan helps you to better manage your symptoms.
History
American neurologist Dr. Roy L. Swank traveled to Montreal, Canada in 1948 to study the link between diet and symptoms of MS in afflicted patients. He also traveled to Norway and Switzerland to collect data on MS patients' diets. Swank conducted numerous nutritional studies on MS patients in Montreal, and analyzed available data on the diets of the Western European MS patients during his five-year study in Canada. Based upon his investigations, he developed the Swank Diet to help MS sufferers regain their health and mobility, according to Direct-MS.org.
Theories/Speculation
Swank found that MS patients who ate a low-fat diet were healthier and more productive than MS patients who ate high-fat diets, says the Swank MS Foundation. Therefore, he developed a diet high in fruit, vegetables and grains and low in saturated fats, such as red meat, and poly-unsaturated fats, such as sunflower oil, to help alleviate MS symptoms in patients.
Acceptable Foods
While on the Swank Diet, you can eat non-fat ice cream, milk and yogurt in unlimited amounts, says the Swank MS Foundation website. You can also eat hot and cold whole grain cereals; whole grain pastas; two cups of vegetables per day and two servings of fruits per day. Shellfish and white fish such as mahi mahi and cod are permissible in unlimited amounts, and you can eat 4 oz. of boneless, skinless chicken or turkey during one meal. Although the diet does allow you to eat fatty fish such as herring, tuna and salmon, you can only eat up to 10 tsp. of these foods per day, according to Swank MS Foundation.
Moderated Foods
You cannot eat red meat, such as pork or beef, on the first year of the Swank Diet. After the initial 12 months, you can eat 2 oz. of medium-fat meats such as lean pork or beef at one meal, and 3 oz. of low-fat meats such as lamb, venison or rabbit during one meal. You can also consume between 4 and 10g of unsaturated fats such as olive oil per day, depending on your level of activity, says the Swank MS Foundation website.
Considerations
According to researcher S. Schwartz of the Neurology Clinic at the University of Heidelberg in Mannheim, Germany, no particular diet has been proven to produce advantageous effects in MS patients. However, Schwartz does recommend supplementing your diet with omega-3 fatty acids to alleviate your MS symptoms, as published in the German medical journal "Nervenartz."
Warning
Do not use the Swank Diet as the sole treatment for your MS symptoms. Follow your doctor's individualized medical plan for your specific condition, and make changes to your diet based upon your physician's recommendations.
