Is There a Link Between Gut Bacteria and Multiple Sclerosis?

A friend of mine has MS and she went strictly organic plant based diet and she hasn't had a flare in years. I believe there's a lot of connection between food and autoimmune health.

Like taking Vitamin D I've been giving probiotics a whirl for the last year or so. The evidence is sketchy but it's not going to harm & may do some good. Presume you've heard of Kefir, it's a north African style fermented milk drink. It's far more efficacious than the commercially marketed probiotic drinks - at least those available in the UK.

I am fascinated by this topic myself, having read several books on the subject lately. I would strongly recommend Dr Michael Mosley's book, The Clever Guts Diet. Dr Mosley is a very highly respected doctor and medical journalist in the UK and his various diets are recommended by many in the medical profession here (including my husband's doctor).
The book has a full programme for improving the gut microbiome. He includes fermented food to add bacteria to the intestines, as well as talking about pre- and pro-biotics. It really is fascinating and well worth reading and includes references to much very recent research into the subject.
I hope you find it useful.

The Anne Rowling Clinic in Edinburgh is currently undertaking a study into whether there is a link between gut bacteria and MS. They are taking blood, stool etc samples from volunteer people with MS and the people they live with.

Feeding the mitochondria of basic cells is a good way to start. Dr. Terry Wahls is the best guru for this. Her book, "The Wahls Protocol" is extremely helpful.

Do some research around vegan diets. It could ease a lot of your problems!

I am reading a recently published book titled "The Plant Paradox" by Dr Steven R. Gundry in which he identifies leaky gut as common to autoimmunity and uncontrolled weight gain and prescribes a diet called the plant paradox programme. I have listed 2 links below but you can easily find links in any browser search. https://www.inspire.com/nobeta1/journal/making-the-gundry-protocol-simple/
https://www.inspire.com/nobeta1/journal/the-seven-deadly-disruptors-of-the- gut-lining/

I have found Kefir extremely helpful in calming the stomach. It is now being sold in major supermarkets in the UK but the best value bottles ive found are sold in Polish delicatessens which also sell buttermilk.

Have a look at a website called Love Your Gut. It has a whole load of research information as well as practical ways of improving the balance in your gut such as recipes and sources of help and information.

There is a major research project underway at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, the Univ of CA San Francisco Medical Center, and two centers, one in Brazil and one in the UK I believe.

The project is to take fecal samples and analyze 500 subjects at each site, so a total of 2000, who have MS, to see if they can recognize a pattern in their gut bacteria. If such a pattern can be spotted, one of the possible approaches could be fecal transfer, from a healthy family member. First wipe out everything in the subject, then introduce the gut population from someone else. In curing those with Clostridium Difficile (aka C-Diff) this approach seems to work more than 90% of the time, in patients who have not benefitted from any other approach.

There was an interesting article about gut microbiome and MS in Scientific American magazine in 2014. It is a bit old, but interesting.

I believe that my MS first expressed itself to me with major bowl problems 4 years before my diagnosis. I had almost went to a doctor for it but tried to fix it holistically first. I would have sever stomach cramps, acid reflux, constipation followed by diarrhea, has and horrible tasting burps. I stopped drink alcohol, coffee, tea, spicy foods, and citrus fruits. I also began taking ginger capsules 3 times daily along with a probiotic. I lost a lot of weight but eventually it got better but I never stopped the ginger pills or probiotics. I can now eat normally with no problems. Interesting thing is I did stop the ginger pill about 6 months before I flared up and was diagnosed. I now take them twice a day.

Since having ms I my gut has been a nightmare! I have had a Nissen fundiplication! I follow low fodmap diet! My gastroenterologist says I have gerd! It seems the more meds I take the worse it gets! I have been taking digestive health beef gelatin 3 times a day ! Also probiotics and reflux medication just to get through the day! So I totally a agree ms has changed my gut! The digestive beef gelatin has really helped me?

Although my comments are not about the gut bacteria, allow me to share this with you all.
I've been practicing (listening) the "Healing Brainwave pure tone binaural" (by Ivan Donalson), which is to activate your immune system. I suggest you to try this practice and see how your health and daily spirits/mood is noticeably changing. Symptoms are gone!
I enjoy my life with a positive attitude without thinking what is going to happen in the future. Live life today.

I have MS and was also diagnosed with celiac disease. Sounds like you should ask to be tested for celiac.

I was told by a neurosurgeon I have ms. I have 22 lesions . I had spinal tap done and the markers say I don’t have it as of yet but they want another spinal tap. Meanwhile I’ve suffered with diverticulitis . The attacks are frequent and I’m really feeling tired. Daily intestinal cramping, is this connected with ms patients? I have no health insurance and I’m suffering daily.

This sounds familiar. I was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis a year ago. But prior to that diagnosis I have also been suffering from a abdominal pain on right side, bloating and feeling of fullness two years prior to my MS diagnosis. Went to gastro doctor. They did colonoscopy and endoscopy. Found I had Barrett's esophagus. Told to continue taking nexium. My symptoms continued but I was also dealing with undiagnosed MS. So I concentrated on getting that diagnosis by seeing a couple neurologist and the second one diagnosed me. I went to a neurologist 4 years prior and was misdiagnosed but I thought I had a pinched nerve and it would go away. Any way after alot of abdominal pain and bloating I went to a new gastro doc and they ordered a complete workup including a lactulose breath test for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. That test was positive. So going threw treatment on my 5th day of antibiotics. Giving me some relief. I feel Im on the same path as you explained with eating the right things. Its all connected I believe. MS the gut and my flare ups. Also they say nexium can make SIBO worse which is what I take for barrets esophagus. Im hoping to heal my barrets esophagus threw low fodmap and gerd diet. So I can keep my gut healed also. Thanks for your information it was helpful.

I am getting this all figured out now. I have too many symptoms, gerd, lpr, Ibs, ic, gastritis, painful skin with stabbing pain all over, muscle spasms, ....I have requested a neuro appt to see about MS. My question is, I have been following a very high ph diet for low acid. Exactly which diet should I follow? Acid Watchers for my gerd and gastritis and lpr? A diet for bladder and IBS? They are all different. Cutting out alcohol chocolate spices and tomatoes etc have all been done for months now and I’m not better. I’m starting to panic now. What am I going to do? How would I be treated for MS?