The McDougall Diet is one of many proposed eating plans for people with multiple sclerosis, or MS. MS is a disease that attacks the central nervous system. The symptoms, progression and severity of MS vary from person to person. The cause of the disease remained unknown at the time of publication. Since understanding the cause will be a key step in finding treatment for MS, much research is dedicated to this aspect of MS. Factors including genetics, immunologic response, infectious disease, vitamin D levels and environmental influences are being studied. Theories that special diets may help or even cure MS exist, though scientific evidence to back such theories was lacking as of 2011, according to the National MS Society.
Potential
The McDougall Diet for MS is promoted by physician John A. McDougall, who heads the McDougall Research and Education Foundation. This nonprofit corporation was set up to study treating MS via diet. Researchers at Oregon Health and Science University announced a study in 2009 that would examine whether the McDougall Diet benefits people with MS. At the time of publication, the study was tracking study subjects' MS symptoms; the eventual aim was to attempt to determine, through MRI studies, the physical impacts of a low-fat diet on the brain.
Identification
McDougall emphasizes low-fat vegetarian cuisine. This diet is a variation of the diet recommended by physician Roy Swank, whom McDougall identifies as his mentor. Swank noted in the 1950s that intakes of dietary fat are higher in locations where MS is more prevalent. However, a 17-year study found that following a low-fat diet did not affect the course of the disease, according to "Multiple Sclerosis" by Louis J. Rosner and Shelley Ross. Such a diet does promote general health and heart health, however, and longevity was improved among MS patients who followed the Swank diet. According to the National MS Society, some evidence shows that maintaining a low saturated fat intake and supplementing with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may be beneficial if you have MS.
Features
If you follow the McDougall Diet, you will eat foods that feature plant-based proteins. No meat, including fish, is allowed in this diet. The diet features starches like corn, potatoes, beans, rice, fruit, vegetables and pasta. You consume foods like spicy Mongolian noodles that feature tofu as the protein source, pasta with vegetarian chili sauce, and vegetarian hot dogs and hamburgers made from nonfat soy products.
Expert Insight
The National MS Society recommends the same well-balanced, low-fat, high-fiber diet that is considered healthful for the general population. According to the society, many diets are proposed as a treatment or cure for MS. However, evidence that any diet is effective is extremely limited. Most diets promoted for MS are based on personal accounts and haven't been subjected to controlled studies, and those that have been evaluated produce mixed results. Some of the changes attributed to diet are those that would have happened with no treatment, according to the experts at the MS Society.
Another MS Diet
Another diet, the MacDougall Diet -- not to be confused with the McDougall Diet -- combines low-fat and gluten-free diets. This diet was created by writer and dramatist Roger MacDougall, who claims it led to remission of his symptoms. Scientific evidence to back this diet does not exist, however, note Rosner and Ross.
References
- National MS Society: Nutrition and Diet
- "Multiple Sclerosis"; Louis J. Rosner and Shelley Ross; 2008
- DrMcDougall.com: The Multiple Sclerosis and Diet Saga
- Oregon Health and Science University: OHSU to Study Whether Low-Fat Dieting Benefits Multiple Sclerosis Patients
- DrMcDougall.com: About Dr. McDougall
- "The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook"; John A. McDougall and Mary McDougall; 1999
