New MS diet study aims to fix flaws that have plagued prior research

[ActiveMSers]

This is encouraging news, and the research is being done by researchers at the respected Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. From the Journal Nature.

Diet: Changing the recipe
Sujata Gupta

Nature 540, S13–S14 (01 December 2016) doi:10.1038/540S13a
Published online 30 November 2016

Dietary changes may be able to alleviate the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but testing the effects of diet will need a different protocol to the one used for drugs.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...l/540S13a.html

[Irene]

When I was first dxd with MS, everyone would ask if I have food restrictions. I always laughed .. and now I think there is some truth to it.

Since the past month, I've cut out dairy, lentils, souring agents (lemon, vinegar,tamarind) and wheat.
Too early to say anything yet.. but definitely not bad

[Suebee]

Irene, what MS diet are you following? I understand the various main MS diet assertions are to use foods with the right omega fatty acids and lean protein, and extra protein or sugar in the blood stream can cause inflammation/trigger attacks.
I haven't heard about souring agents impacting MS before. I wonder if it is because it could potentially regulate sugar metabolism? And why are lentils bad for MS? I thought lentils were supposed to be a superfood!
I'm old enough to remember the butter, margarine, butter recommendations. I wish there a magic formula. Keep us updated on how your're feeling and if you recommend it.

[keb70]

works for me

I've had MS since 1988, and after having smallish flare-ups over the years, I had a horrendously bad flare-up in 1996, which affected many body systems and abilities. It was really bad! I had just started seeing an allergist prior to that time, and we had started some testing.

Turns out, I was "sensitive/reactive" to wheat, dairy, corn, sugar, eggs, soy, etc. He recommended a temporary elimination diet (vegan) - basically ONLY brown rice, vegetables, and water, which I did faithfully. After 30 days, I was able to start "challenging" certain foods back into my diet and learn which other foods I could tolerate.

Within 3 weeks of starting the diet, I had lost 20 pounds(!), and had effectively recovered all of my faculties - walking, sleeping, vision, bladder control, no more vertigo, and so on. To me, it was such a dramatic display of how much our diet DOES affect our symptoms and quality of life.

That was 21 years ago, and I have continued to eat some form of "MS diet" since then (currently doing the Ann Boroch candida protocol).

Unfortunately, I did cross over to SPMS (at 26 years in), but I am still ambulatory and very functional, with sleep disturbances and sensory issues my "only" symptoms to speak of. Have never taken any DMDs.

Because of my own journey, I am an iron-clad believer that diet is one, if not the, major factor in our experience with this disease.