Best diet for Multiple Sclerosis?

[Cupcake77]

MS does what it wants, there is no diet that can slow it down or stop it. I know a few people swear by diet but it's nothing more than coincidence. MS is known for going into remission, mostly during the early stages. No way to prove diet has an effect, but eating well is good for everyone, with MS or not.

[susan42]

Originally Posted by Pikantari

I am leaning towards the Swank diet.

I read about lessening the red meat, lots of 'white' fish and that with plenty of Omega. Red, orange and yellow veggies, and to stay away from the carbs for the most part, exception of rice.

Talked about chicken breast being a good protein as well, but says the dark meat is considered red meat.

This is the same as for arthritis plus reducing dairy protein.

[mortisha]

I've had MS for over 20 years. I used to be a heath nut; watching my diet carefully and exercising faithfully 4 or 5 times a week doing cardio and weights. Never smoked, rarely drank. Now I can't do much exercise except walk a bit on a good day but I still try eat a healthy well balanced diet. NOT because it will or will not affect MS but because, like everybody else, I am subject to every other health problem that IS affected by diet; heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc. Multiple Sclerosis has nothing to do with diet! You can eat whatever you want and it will make not one iota of difference. MS is a neurological disease, not a nutritional disease. Experts state this over and over and over.
MS is a disease where you have little control over the progression of the diesease so trying to control something, like diet, makes some people feel good. That's fine, but don't be fooled into thinking it's doing anything to slow down progression or cure the disease. Disease Modulating Drugs such as Copaxone, Avonex, Tysabri, and Betaseron have been shown to slow down progression in many people, but in many progression continues despite the drugs.

I have been on Avonex, Copaxone, Novantrone (a chemotherapy drug that may slow progression in some), and am now on Tysabri. I know I have done everything within my power to deal with this disease, including trying to stay as healthy as I can. At 59 I am as healthy as a woman with MS can be.

My advice for anyone with MS is to get on one of the disease modulating drugs as soon as possible and then worry about your diet. That is an entirely different issue for your health. Eat whatever you want, but deal with the MS!

[Bluesmama]

Make sure to take vitamin D supplements, which is a nutrient lacking in those with MS (and, personally, I think it may have a link to why the Pacific Northwest has such a high count of MS). But some people prefer to avoid the sun, and if you're one of them then I'd look into D3.

[mortisha]

My measured vit D level is fine, but I take Calcium with Vit D supplement for my bones, not my MS. Most experts believe that whatever factors that trigger MS happen in chidhood and it takes years for symptoms of a damaged nervous system to manifest themselves. Like many others with MS, if I look back I can now see that I probably had symptoms long before I was diagnosed but blamed those symptoms on something else at the time.

The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation states "The role vitamin D plays in MS has not yet been established. While adequate levels of D in childhood may be preventative against MS and other health conditions, the benefit of the vitamin later in life - if any - is still under review. Despite the remaining questions, getting the recommmended amount of vitamins and minerals is part of your total health."

Remember that overdosing of Vit D can cause fatigue (not something people with MS need more of), kidney damage, high blood pressure, and multiple other toxic effects.

It has also been questioned if vit D may not contribute at all in the development of MS, rather it may be some entirely different factor about the amount of sunlight exposure in childhood in combination with several other factors that lead to MS. There are no firm answers yet.