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Diet and MS
Please understand me. While I don’t believe that there’s some miracle diet that will cure multiple sclerosis, I do recognize the connection between the immune system and the digestive system.
I recently spoke with a registered dietitian, who recommended that I try an elimination diet to identify any foods to which I might be sensitive, and then plan a regular diet routine accordingly. The goal is to avoid foods that may be causing inflammation and to foster a healthy gut biome. I’m just starting down this path, so I’ll keep you informed.
In the meantime, I’d love to hear your experience with the connection between diet and multiple sclerosis.
Do you have any kind of specialized diet? Are there any tips you’ve picked up that you want to share?
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3 Replies
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Apparently I’m not the only one.
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My short answer 💯% YES
Agree not a cure but I do believe now that figuring out your food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities is important as they are related to gut microbiome dysbiosis and pro-inflammation that make MS worse (but not necessarily the direct cause).
Long answer/story – A couple of years after my diagnosis in 2003 I had read that gluten free ‘may’ be of benefit for MS. Book ‘Eat Right for Your Blood Type’ recommended eliminate wheat for my blood type O. I saw a nutritionist who supported me even though the evidence was ‘inconclusive’.
So I went strict Gluten Free as if I had celiac disease. My fatigue improved, I was thinking clearly, bloated belly went away, and I was able to continue working g full time. It didn’t undo the damage already done but made life more manageable. I couldn’t to.erate the injectables back then so I wasn’t on a DMT but my disease went quiet anyway for several years.
But then I started to backslide on for,owing the diet….i
I wasn’t celiac, so people would question me why I was doing thi, accusing me of being part of the fad. And it was hard!I still keep it to a minimum but would eat the pizza when out with friends or have the pasta and garlic bread when dining out.
Disease starting acting up again around 2012. But I had abandoned the idea of going absolutely wheat/ gluten again plus I started Tysabri which kept the MS at bay. Then starting having gall bladder issues. Eventually having it out emergency last year. But my liver enzymes and cholesterol continued to be high, my digestion was awful with frequent diarrhea then constipation, and my doctors thought I had beginning of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. Quit alcohol, did nothing. Then I read a vague quote from a functional medicine doctor that said they found many patients with high liver enzymes responded to gluten free diet. Light bulb went off for me. I recommitted to a fully gluten free diet, even though all the celiac tests came back negative, and 6 months later my liver enzymes are back to normal, my digestion is vastly improved, fatigue and cog fog is improved, and ditched the cane I started using last year. I am back at getting fit again and going to yoga classes regularly. My doctors are pleasantly surprised but fully on board now.
I am so mad I let the naysayers sway me. Wish I had stuck to it.
I’m not saying everyone with MS should go gluten free, but that yes you should try and figure out what your food sensitivities are. It explains why there’s no one MS diet that works for all, but some report amazing results for each because they have inadvertently addressed a food sensitivity they have. For some it’s legumes. For me clearly it is gluten containing grains.
I think as MS research looks closer at the microbiome, gut brain axis, and systemic inflammation we will unravel more about how nutrition plays an important role in MS.
I’ll get off my soapbox now.
Cheers,
Karen
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Well that wasn’t much of a soapbox LOL. What it was was an honest, personal assessment of experience. I’m not quite done with my elimination phase, but I’ve already seen so much less bloating and brain fog. I’m also on a new medication for cognitive issues so I can’t swear that’s diet but it sure can’t hurt. So far, I’m betting that my problem is the extra sugars, processed foods, and lactose. That last one bugs me a little because I’ve never been lactose intolerant. However I am in my fifties, and my digestion is slowed down significantly, so I’m willing to accept that I may be lactose sensitive now. I miss my bread a little, but I’m thinking along the same lines you are. I don’t think I have a clinical gluten sensitivity, but eliminating wheat products seems to be making a difference. Time will tell, but as long as we’re looking at diet as symptom relief and not as a cure or reversal for MS, I think we are on the right track
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