Diet and nutrition

A retrospective study of vitamin D status and disability progression in multiple sclerosis patients — using real-life, clinical data from a large and varied group — found no  correlation between the two, although vitamin D levels may predict the occurrence of relapses in some patients. But these findings may have been limited by the lower doses of daily vitamin…

GeneFo, a social-medical community that connects patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and offers free in-house medical consulting, recently announced a partnership with MitoQ, a New Zealand-based company focused on mitochondrial health. MitoQ is a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant supplement that may help to alleviate common symptoms in MS. MS, a chronic disease of the central…

Processed foods have been added to the list of “no-no” items that we are not supposed to eat if you, like me, are unfortunate enough to have MS. We were already warned against gluten, salt and various other ingredients in our diet; now it’s processed foods and additives. This is…

Increasing evidence suggests that our gut microbiome is able to regulate brain processes and trigger neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Scientists from around the world discussed these themes at the recent Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Copenhagen, Denmark. “The gut microbiome can influence the central…

A symposium focused on lifestyle factors and unconventional medicine as part of the clinical care provided to patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) took place today at the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (CMSC). The symposium, “Expanding the MS Toolkit: Integrating Lifestyle Factors and Unconventional Medicine…

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I’m glad to be done with cold and dreary weather. Bring on the sunshine! But my excitement is tempered a bit because, like many people with MS, I find the heat exhausting; it saps my energy and makes it even harder…

How would you feel about following a calorie-restricted diet, if it might reverse the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and help repair the damage caused by the disease? Scientists are so excited about the findings achieved so far that they are moving to large-scale human trials, and have already taken the unusual…

Holidays abroad may hold the key to tackling Scotland’s vitamin D deficiency, a University of Edinburgh study suggests. The study, “Farming, Foreign Holidays, and Vitamin D in Orkney,” was published in the journal PloS One. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, complex disease…

Children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS) differ from others in the composition of their gut flora, with higher levels of inflammation-causing bacteria and lower levels of anti-inflammatory bacteria, according to a study from  the University of British Columbia, Canada. The findings, supporting previous hypotheses that the composition of the gut microbial community could influence the development…

There are lots of so-called “MS diets” out there, each one claiming to ease the difficulties of living with MS. This, despite the fact that neurologists don’t often address nutrition when discussing disease management with their patients. Why is diet so rarely discussed by medical practitioners? And why hasn’t there…

Dietary habits and the composition of the gut flora can influence neuroinflammation and affect the outcome of neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine and titled “Type I interferons and microbial metabolites of tryptophan modulate astrocyte activity and central nervous…

Researchers at the Center of Excellence for Myelin Repair, a part of Mount Sinai, reported that gut bacteria produce compounds that were seen to affect the myelin content in mice and cause social avoidance behaviors. Study results indicated that targeting gut bacteria, or the gut metabolites, might help in treating neuropsychiatric disorders or complications, such as those…

I just picked up a T-shirt that says, “Eat Well and Travel Often.” It was obviously made just for me. Traveling to new places and seeing new things is something I enjoy tremendously. And enjoying delicious meals makes me feel pampered and cared for. But since I can’t travel to…

Scientists at the Pediatric MS Center at NYU Langone, New York, reported that U.S. adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS) receiving interferon-beta 1a therapy had a higher body mass index (BMI), more relapses, and were managed differently compared to patients of similar age in seven other countries. The study, “Subcutaneous…

Oh sugar, sugar… Diet Coke is my “thing.” I have a love/hate relationship with it – I hate being without it but I know I need to end our affair. I like to think that it helps me stay awake, but in reality it gives me headaches and an upset…

A survey, summarizing the views of 2,600 multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, showed how people manage their disease in real life — and the results offer some surprising insights that might provide clues for future treatment development and optimization. Conducted by a Stanford University-trained geneticist, Dr. Yael Wilnai, results from the…

A new research study published online in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry suggests that drinking six cups of coffee a day could lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). The researchers said the neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties of caffeine in coffee may explain why drinking a…

Although it was over a decade ago, I still vividly remember the first questions I asked my neurologist after learning I had Multiple Sclerosis, “What can I do? Should I change my diet? Exercise more? Or less?” My first instinct was to look for a holistic way to minimize my…

Elissa Holzman is an MS Health Coach who specializes in nutrition and a healthy lifestyle for supporting those with the disease. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2005, which led her to pay closer attention to how she treats her body. In her new column for Multiple Sclerosis News…

In a new study using several mouse models of human immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers found that increased levels of an endogenous protein called tristetraprolin (TTP) resulted in protection against pro-inflammatory diseases. The results suggested that this natural protein might constitute a valuable therapeutic strategy to reduce…

In a new study, researchers found that additives common to processed foods can damage the tight junctions that protect the intestinal mucosa, and which are essential to the intestinal tolerance and immunity balance that works to prevent autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The article, titled “Changes in…

Results from a small pilot study indicated that high-dose vitamin D supplementation is safe and tolerable in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and that it can reduce the presence of autoimmunity-causing immune T cells. Patients are now being recruited for a larger clinical trial. The study, entitled “Safety and immunologic…

Findings from two studies, recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, indicate that high levels of salt alter the stability of the immune system and make it more susceptible to inflammation. The studies, which were led by Dr. David Hafler from Yale University and Dr. Dominik…

A research team from Oxford Brookes University is being given a £70,000 ($107,000) grant to analyze whether dark chocolate can help ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). The Multiple Sclerosis Society (MS Society) will fund the study. The goal of the project, according to a press release, is to investigate if a…

In a recent study published in the journal Immunity, researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel reported the findings that a small subtype of immune dendritic cells plays a role in the prevention of both metabolic syndrome and autoimmunity. The study is entitled “…

Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS), a non-profit organization that promotes a program based on a scientifically tested diet and lifestyle management with the goal of improving the health status and quality of life of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), recently announced that it will expand into the United States. OMS…

A new study from Sweden indicates that vitamin D could help protect nerve cells (neurons) in multiple sclerosis (MS). The report, titled “Vitamin D and axonal injury in multiple sclerosis,“ was published on October 13, 2015, in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. Scientists have demonstrated, in…

Results from a recent study published in the journal Immunity indicate that dietary fat has an influence in the duration and severity of autoimmune flare-ups in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis. The team of researchers also showed that adjusting the length of the fatty acids consumed by…

“Overall fat intake not significantly associated with MS risk.” – Kjetil L. Bjornevik Dr. Kjetil Bjørnevik is a professor of Neurology, Epidemiology at University of Bergen. For full coverage on social media for #ECTRIMS2015 go to https://bit.ly/ECTRIMS2015…

A number of studies have previously suggested a negative effect of high cholesterol levels on the development of brain lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), however, little is known about the effect of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, or “good” cholesterol, on MS. A team of scientists from the University…