Multiple Sclerosis and nutrition

There are various, sometimes contrary, opinions concerning the type of food that should be consumed by MS patients

MS and Food Allergies

Very good scientific research based review is presented in a Life Extension Foundation website:

Allergies to certain foods may also play a role in the development or exacerbation of MS. MS is most prevalent in areas where consumption of wheat gluten and milk are also high… This relationship has not been proven conclusively, but allergies may play some role in the onset or severity of MS.

Components of some foods may act as triggers to the immune system, causing it to begin an inappropriate autoimmune response similar to the body’s autoimmune response to bacteria and viruses…

Apart from specific cross-reactions to food proteins, a majority of patients who have MS reportedly have a variety of digestive system deficits, including poor digestive enzyme production, poor digestion of fats and proteins, and suboptimal absorption of various nutrients, including vitamin B12…

…some patients who have MS who were treated for yeast infections—and who subsequently had their gut microflora recolonized with friendly probiotic organisms (such as those present in active yogurt cultures)—experienced significant improvement in their MS symptoms…

All other MS and nutrition related versions are mainly personal:

• lots of different opinions are collected and presented in a PaleoDiet.com website special page Multiple Sclerosis and Dietary Intervention. No doubt, such a diet could be very helpful to some (gluten and/or casein sensitive) multiple sclerosis sufferers. However, other MS-ers (me including) can worsen their situation on such a diet. Additionally, it is necessary to consider that this website is created by a paleo diet advocate
  
• “In 1995 my son received the devastating diagnosis of MS. Having been a research scientist for 30 years, I decided to plunge into the scientific literature for MS to determine the most likely factors which cause MS and to use this information to develop an effective therapy for my son…
  “I discovered abundant scientific evidence that indicates that various nutritional factors potentially play major roles in the onset and progression of MS. Strangely, this information was not being made available to persons with MS by doctors nor by established MS charities…”

  That’s the introduction to the nice and very informative website direct-ms.org, created by Canadian geologist, who’s son got MS and successfully recovered using paleo diet

• DAIRY PRODUCTS. All dairy products must be non-fat or contain no more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. The recommended daily amount is two (2) servings… The following foods are permissible in any amount: non-fat milk or skimmed milk, powdered skimmed milk, non-fat or dry curd cottage cheese, fat-free cheese…

  These are basics of a well known Swank low-fat MS diet, developed and widely used for decades by a MD Roy L Swank. This diet is mainly a kind of paleo diet
  

• Dr. Kwasniewski claims to have major success, treating M.S. using the Homo Optimus diet. The Homo Optimus diet is a diet with a strict ratio of 1:3 protein/fat and only allows a maximum amount of 50 grams of carbohydrates each day. Fats are all animal fats (including butter, cream, etc) and proteins are all animal proteins…

  Dr. Kwasniewski says to use 150 grams or pork brain and pork spinal tissue per week. This diet will, according to Kwasniewski, immediately upon starting, stop the degeneration, i.e. it will halt the disease. Depending on how long the disease existed, it will also start healing the damage already done, up to a certain extent.

  These are basics of MS diet ‘Homo Optimus’, developed by a Polish MD Kwasniewski. It is definitely opposite to paleo diet and based on animal fat.

All above described diets are similar in few aspects:

• processed foods completely prohibited
• diet applied to all MS sufferers same way

However, some crucial to my opinion aspects are missing:

• diet is not targeted to eliminate or at least reduce possible MS causes
• personal peculiarities are completely ignored

All above information should only be considered as helpful suggestions. Each person is an individual and reacts differently to the various food substances. It is substantial that all individuals should observe their reactions precisely and then choose what is good for them