Nutrition and Multiple Sclerosis - Part 5

Recommendations

It is interesting to note that different people have come to the same conclusions about the best diet for those with multiple sclerosis whilst coming from a completely different direction. Since there is very little that can be done for the condition with conventional medicine it is worth considering all the options. There is plenty of evidence, generally, about how diet affects our health and some specifically in relation to multiple sclerosis. There are many other conditions where a special diet is recommended, which is often much the same as discussed here. Whilst it is very hard to change your diet to the degree suggested it is not too difficult once you have got used to it and there are plenty of cookery books for special diets available as well as many foods in the health shop.

There has been a great amount of research recently on nutrition and multiple sclerosis but there is a need for large scale research on complete diets like those listed above. In the meantime I feel that all doctors should advise their patients all their patients (whatever their health condition) to try to follow the generally recommended healthy eating guidelines such as low salt, sugar and saturated fat and high intake of fruit, vegetables and unsaturated fats. They should also give some advice on label reading to make this easier for the patients. They should also be asked to notice if what they eat affects the severity of the symptoms of the condition.

After analysing the information for dietary guidelines for use with multiple sclerosis I recommend cutting back on, dairy products (milk, cheese and butter), gluten (wheat, rye and barley), aspartame, meat, saturated fats, sugar and synthetic chemicals, increasing intake of fish (particularly oily fish), unsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and organic produce. In addition a good quality multi nutrient (containing the vitamins and minerals listed) should be taken along with some probiotics and some fatty acids (including omega-3 and omega-6), ginkgo biloba and DHEA.

Ideally every person with multiple sclerosis should be given the information contained in this essay. From there they can make their own decisions. I have also just read that it will soon be possible to get fatty acids on prescription for those with heart conditions. Maybe this, and possibly other supplements should also be considered for other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis.

APPENDIX A

SAMPLE MENUS

Breakfast

Rice, quinoa or millet cereal with fruit and milk alternative

Fruit smoothie

Melon

Grapefruit

Fruit salad

Gluten free bread or biscuits with nut butter

Lunch

Tuna salad

Chicken vegetable soup

Gluten free bread or biscuits with nut butter

Fruit juice

Fresh fruit

Dinner

Stir fry chicken with nuts and vegetables

Steamed fish with steamed vegetables

Chicken with salad

Snacks

Fruit (fresh or dried)

Vegetables - maybe with dips

Nuts (excluding peanuts)

Seeds (such as sunflower or pumpkin)

Rice cakes

APPENDIX B

DIETARY GUIDELINES

Cut back on:

- dairy products - cheese, milk and butter, goat's and sheep's products are preferable to cow's milk products

- gluten - mainly wheat, barley and rye

- aspartame

- meat

- saturated fats

- sugar

- salt

- synthetic chemicals

Increase intake of:

- fish - particularly oily fish

- unsaturated fats

- fruits

- vegetables

- seeds

- nuts

- organic produce

Recommended supplements:

- good quality multi nutrient (Solgar, Biocare, Higher Nature, Lamberts)

- this will contain most of the nutrients discussed in this essay.

- probiotics - containing a range of different probiotics including acidophilus and bifidus

- fatty acids - containing omega-3 and omega-6

- ginkgo biloba

- DHEA

APPENDIX C

FURTHER INFORMATION

Therapists

Susan Hough - Allergy Therapist - 01584 819302

Alan Buckwell - tests for allergies and a wide range of bodily imbalances - 01981 240306

Sandy Underhill - Homoeopath - 01597 851021

Caroline Collard - Natural Healer - 01597 811375

Contacts

Diet Research into the Cause and Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, DIRECT-MS

5119 Brockington Rd. NW, Calgary, AB, T2L 1R7, Canada

Website: http://www.direct-ms.org

Email: info@DIRECT-MS.org

100%health

Carters Yard, London SW18 4JR

Website: http://www.patrickholford.com

Email: info@patrickholford.com

General nutrition and diet

Betty's House

Website: http://www.bettyshouselifeafterms.com/index.html

To help all people with Multiple Sclerosis believe that they need not be a victim of MS, but rather that they can be a victor; that they can be "enabled" by their MS rather than "disabled," and that the choice is up to them.

Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre

The MS 24 Hour Telephone Counselling Service 0800 783 0518 (then press 1)

Website: http://www.msrc.co.uk

The Multiple Sclerosis Resource Centre (MSRC) is a proactive and innovative charity, passionately committed to supporting anyone affected by Multiple Sclerosis through access to unbiased information and advice. Our approach is to encourage individuals to make choices that are appropriate to their daily lives, empowering them to maximise their potential.Includes the Best Bet Diet Group

Paleo Diet

Website: http://www.paleodiet.com/ms/

This website has lots of information on dietary intervention with multiple sclerosis.

The Swank MS Foundation

PO Box 1658, Beaverton, OR 97075-1658, USA

Website: http://www.swankmsdiet.com/

Email: fdn@swankmsdiet.org

By working together, theSwank MS Foundationcan continue researching nutrition and its role in MS. We can also keep this valuable Web resource online and available to MS patients around the world.

Books

Multiple Sclerosis (By Appointment Only) by Jan De Vries ISBN: 0906391989 (available through Powys libraries)

MS: Something Can Be Done and You Can Do It : A New Approach to Understanding and Managing Multiple Sclerosis by Robert W. Soll, Penelope Grenoble ISBN: 0809254697

Multiple Sclerosis: A Self-Help Guide to Its Management by Judy Graham ISBN: 0892812427

The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Laver SwankandBarbara Brewer Dugan ISBN: 0385232799

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