Multiple sclerosis is a progressive disease, in which the fatty sheaths that insulate nerve fibers become inflamed or damaged. Effects of the disorder include impaired vision, altered sensations, weakness and fatigue. The cause of MS is unknown, and there is no known cure. Medical treatment aims to slow the progression, reduce the severity of attacks and hasten remission when possible. Dietary treatments for MS have not been proven to be effective by scientific studies. To be sure you get all the nutrients you need, diet only under the supervision of a health care professional.
Asian Diet
That diet may play a role in MS is suggested because the disease is more common in Western nations than in Japan, Korea and China. A diet rich in saturated fats, cholesterol and alcohol may lead to high levels of a hormone-like substance, prostaglandin 2, which is associated with attacks of multiple sclerosis. On an Asian diet, you'll eat large amounts of marine foods, vegetables, fruits and seed oils that are high in antioxidants and omega-3 essential fatty acids. A research team headed by M.E.van Meetener in the Netherlands stated that victims of MS show antioxidant and omega-3 fatty acid deficiencies and that treatment with these nutrients decrease the clinical signs of disease in animals. The study was published in the December 2005 "European Journal of Clinical Nutrition."
Gluten-Free Diet
Multiple sclerosis is thought to be an autoimmune disease, in which the infection-fighting defenses of the body attack the nerve sheaths as if they were a foreign substance. This mechanism may be similar to one involved in celiac disease, an abnormal immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, which destroys cilia in the small intestine. A strict, life-long, gluten-free diet is the only effective treatment for celiac disease. Your doctor can order a blood test to detect the presence of antibodies associated with celiac disease. D. B. Shore and colleagues at the Center for Autoimmune Disease in Ramat-Gan Israel tested 98 MS patients and found a significantly higher rate of such antibodies when compared to controls. The study, published in the September 2009 "Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences," suggests a gluten-free diet should be considered in MS patients who test positive for antibodies linked to celiac disease.
Elimination Diet
Ann Sawyer and Judith Bachrach both have multiple sclerosis. In their book, "The MS Recovery Diet," the authors list five foods they have found to impact MS symptoms: dairy, gluten, eggs, yeast and legumes. Sawyer and Bachrach suggest eating lean poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit and whole grains while limiting saturated fats and sugar. To investigate this approach, start by undergoing an elimination diet and laboratory tests under the guidance of a knowledgeable health care professional. There are no scientifically controlled studies proving that food intolerances or allergies trigger MS symptoms.
References
- Pubmed.gov: Antioxidants and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Multiple Sclerosis
- Pubmed.gov: Gluten Sensitivity in Multiple Sclerosis: Experimental Myth or Clinical Truth?
- "The MS Recovery Diet"; Ann D. Sawyer, Judith E. Bachrach; 2007
