Multiple sclerosis diet

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most prevalent disease that affects the central nervous system, with millions of people worldwide suffering from it on a daily basis. With so many people suffering from it, you should not feel alone in any way, and there are many things you can do to improve your condition simply by eating the right foods. Before we go into what kinds of foods you should eat, let us go over how multiple sclerosis affects the body, to give you a better understanding of the disease.

The effects of multiple sclerosis on the body can range from moderate to severe, and can be very debilitating in some people. On the surface, the symptoms of multiple sclerosis become apparent through the random appearance of skin lesions. However, even more devastating are the internal effects, as inflammation occurs in the brain’s “white matter”, also in the optic nerves, and even in the spinal cord! This inflammation spurs consequential deterioration of the myelin sheath. It is this myelin sheath (which is produced by oligodendrocytes) that provides protection for axons. These axons have a very special function in your body, because they speed up and facilitate the transmission of nerve impulses in the spinal cord and brain. When your axons are left without protection a wide variety of symptoms arise, as the nerve impulses in your brain and spinal chord are hindered.

The goal of a multiple sclerosis diet is to allow people to manage these symptoms caused by the deterioration of the myelin sheath. The symptoms that can be eliminated through diet and exercise alone are many, and among the most notable are constipation, incontinence and fatigue. A good multiple sclerosis diet will also help you prevent other symptoms from becoming more severe.

The following dietary regimens are aimed to towards fixing the three main factors that are said to cause multiple sclerosis. These three causes are deficient or excessive amounts of a specific vitamin/nutrient in your diet, an allergic reaction to a part of your diet or the effects of certain components of your diet that are toxic to your system. If you practice the following dietary tips then you should notice a decrease in symptoms within the first week or two.

The first thing you need in your diet is plenty of protein and anti-inflammatory oils. A good source of anti-inflammatory oil is aloe. You can try taking an aloe supplement with your meal every day. Other things that are high in anti-inflammatory oils are: seeds, nuts, and cold-water fish orange, yellow, and dark green vegetables. You will also need plenty of whole grains such as oats, whole wheat bread, whole grain corn and brown rice. These whole grains will give a boost in fiber to your diet’s carbohydrates. In the beginning, however, it is a good idea to avoid common food allergens such as eggs, soy, wheat, dairy, citrus, tomatoes, corn, fish, chocolate and peanuts. I am not saying that you should never eat these foods again, because as mentioned whole wheat can be beneficial, but it is good to eliminate these foods, and then reintroduce them to your diet one at a time. This way you can observe any adverse reactions. Many people with multiple sclerosis are very sensitive to foods that have gluten in them. Generally you should eliminate alcohol, saturated fats refined foods, caffeine, and additives, such as artificial sweeteners (aspartame especially).

You will also want to includes supplements that contain Omega-3, Omega- 6, vitamin C and zinc. Take these supplements with the above dietary regimen and you should begin seeing results within a few days. I hope this article has helped someone with multiple sclerosis and do not forget to monitor your diet closely to observe any adverse reactions.

Last updated on Jun 20th, 2010 and filed under Healthy Eating. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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