Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune disease affecting the central nervous system. Patients experience episodes of acute attacks, which gradually lead to losing the ability to walk or see. There is a widespread medical and scientific interest in this disease because it affects more than 500,000 people in the United States alone. The cause of MS is still not known, but there are several theories, one of which includes a link to fat consumption.
Fat Link
A potential link to diet was first noted by Dr. Roy Swank in the 1940s. He became interested in the connection when it appeared that MS was more common in areas farther from the equator in northern climates. Dr. Swank speculated that diet, particularly consumption of animal-based foods high in saturated fat including cow's milk, might be responsible for MS development. He followed 144 MS patients for more than 34 years and found patients following a low-saturated fat diet, about 16 g per day, reduced the progression of the disease. Since this time, other studies have supported the potential link. Brain tissue from MS patients has been found to contain more saturated fat compared with the tissue of individuals without the disease.
Theory
A lack of blood flow to brain tissue is believed to be a potential cause of MS attacks. Dietary fat can interfere with blood flow as has been found with individuals with heart disease and stroke. Fat, particularly saturated fat, can coat blood vessels, decreasing the ability of blood to flow. Researchers have also noted a difference in plasma cell fat composition between normal individuals and MS patients. Normal cells contain a greater amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids, while MS patients' cells have more saturated fat.
Treating with Diet
Dr. John McDougall notes that MS patients that begin following a diet limiting saturated fat to less than 20 g per day early have a chance to avoid further deterioration. It is suggested that patients follow a low-fat vegetarian diet,with less than 6 percent of total calories from saturated fat.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of MS include fatigue, numbness, walking and balance problems, bladder and bowel dysfunction, vision problems, sexual dysfunction, dizziness and vertigo, depression, cognitive dysfunction and pain. No two people experience the same symptoms, and the symptoms come and go and can change. Diagnosis of the disease is difficult and takes investigation because there are no specific laboratory tests that can determine if a person has MS.
References
- "The China Study"; Colin Campbell, PhD; 2006
- National MS Society: What Causes MS?
- "Treating Multiple Sclerosis with Diet: Fact or Fraud?"; John A McDougall, M.D.
- George Jelinek, M.D.: Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis: Diet
- "Expert Review of Clinical Immunology; Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis; Vijayshree Yadav; May 2010
