Multiple Sclerosis Diet Multiple sclerosis diets have not yet been thoroughly researched, and therefore it is not yet completely certain whether dietary modification has any significant impact on the condition, or in fact any impact at all.
However, there are a number of scientists and doctors who are of the opinion that certain dietary modifications can help in managing the disease, and can actually stop the progression of the disease.
Multiple Sclerosis and Diet
Multiple sclerosis, sometimes known colloquially as MS, is an autoimmune condition involving the central nervous system.
For unknown reasons, the immune system starts to destroy the central nervous system, causing significant disability that often gets progressively worse. The symptoms include pain, muscle weakness and spasms, fatigue, and poor coordination and balance.
As yet, there is no known cure for multiple sclerosis, only a variety of therapies that aim to manage the disease to the greatest extent possible. This includes drug treatment and physical therapy, and all these approaches are aimed at limiting the disability caused and also helping the patient deal with any disability that develops. An MS diet is one of the therapies that is still under investigation, along with other drugs, nutritional supplements, and treatments from alternative medicine.
The main approach of any multiple sclerosis diet is to limit or in fact completely avoid consumption of gluten, certain fats, and processed carbohydrates. The reasons why these foods have an impact on multiple sclerosis are still not clear, but there seems to be evidence that they do have some impact. Gluten, for some reason, seems to be one of the main factors, and multiple sclerosis patients are therefore sometimes advised to completely eliminate gluten from their diet.
Wheat, barley, oats, and rye are to be avoided completely, but this is only part of the restriction. Gluten is added to many food products as well as to other products such as cosmetics, and therefore you will need to check every product that you use to make sure that it is gluten free.
For a multiple sclerosis diet, you should also drastically cut down on your intake of saturated fats, which are mainly obtained from animal products, but also from butter, cream, cheese, lard, coconut oil, and cottonseed oil. On the other hand, omega 3 fatty acids, which can be obtained from foods such as fish, nuts, and flaxseed, seem to help in controlling multiple sclerosis. Of course, these dietary recommendations should be discussed with your doctor or dietitian first, and a multiple sclerosis diet is not meant to be a replacement for medical treatment. |
