The role of diet in Multiple Sclerosis

Can dietary changes help Multiple Sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, sometimes progressive condition, that affects the nerves in our body, leading to many neurological symptoms including weakness, balance problems, changes in sensation, visual problems and more.

It's an autoimmune disease, where the body attacks the protective sheath on nerve fibres (the myelin sheath). This damages and scars the sheath, and potentially the underlying nerves, meaning that messages travelling along the nerves become slowed or disrupted.

For many years there was thought to be no way to prevent MS, and the only options for treatment were medications

Yet more recently several studies have looked at the role of diet and MS, and found that it may play a small but significant role, alongside medical treatment.

One trial looking at the link between diet and MS looked at the MRI (brain) scans of people with MS, and compared the extent of MS changes in the brain, with people's diet.
It found that people who followed a MIND diet (a brain healthy diet designed to reduce dementia symptoms) had significantly less MS changes on MRI scans than those who followed typical Western diets

The MIND diet is a version of the Mediterranean diet which is high in antioxidants, predominantly plant based, and high in leafy greens, berries, vegetables and nuts, as well as fish. It limits red meat, dairy, processed foods, and saturated fat. It's a brain focused version of an anti-inflammatory diet that we talk about in other posts, and specifically includes foods known to promote brain health. It's also proven to help overall health, in particular brain function, heart health, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight, and diabetes

Previous studies looking at MS and diet have also found a similar pattern :
✔️high saturated fat diets were associated with higher rates of MS in population studies
✔️ a trial of 61 MS patients using a low fat, plant based diet showed improved fatigue as well as improved cholesterol and insulin levels
✔️the 'Swank' diet, which followed MS patients over 50 years, showed reduced MS exacerbations, lower symptoms, and improved life expectancy on a low fat mostly plant based diet
✔️a 2017 Italian study showed significantly reduced symptoms in 20 MS patients over a 12 month period in people following a high plant food /low protein diet

Multiple observational studies have also shown a link between high dairy intake and higher rates of MS, meaning that some experts suggest avoiding dairy if you have MS, or have a high risk of MS.

It's also known that having low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of developing MS, with a strong correlation between living in countries further away from the equator, and higher rates of MS
✔️the nurses health study showed a 40% reduction in MS rates in those who took vitamin D supplements
✔️trials where vitamin D was used to avoid deficiency (serum level >50nmol/L) showed slower MS progression and reduced disability

The key factor in common with all of the studies above, is that they emphasise high intake of whole plant foods, avoiding processed food and added sugar, and limiting saturated fat, red meat and dairy

☀️As Michael pollan famously said 'eat whole foods, not too much, mostly plants'!!

https://www.google.com/amp/s/medicalxpress.com/news/2021-06-mind-diet-brain-people-multiple.amp

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