New MS diet study by Wahls a head-scratcher

[ActiveMSers]

The headline, the results, and the conclusions of this latest study by Terry Wahls all sound swell. But when you read the actual study, more questions than answers arise. Fatigue was lowered with her modified Paleo diet... when combined with exercise, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, therapy, and other stuff. Since exercise has already been shown in numerous studies to lower fatigue in MS, and have a dramatic effect on the lipid profile (cholesterol and triglyceride numbers), I am not sure what this small study is reporting. Other than No Duh. -D

One potential limitation of our study is that participants received a diet-based multimodal intervention that included dietary supplements, exercise, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, stress reduction, and varying amounts and types of dietary supplements.

Lipid profile is associated with decreased fatigue in individuals with progressive multiple sclerosis following a diet-based intervention: Results from a pilot study

Kelly Fellows Maxwell, Terry Wahls, Richard W. Browne, Linda Rubenstein, Babita Bisht, Catherine A. Chenard, Linda Snetselaar, …

PLOS One
Published: June 18, 2019
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218075

Abstract

Purpose
To investigate associations between lipid profiles and fatigue in a cohort of progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention.

Methods
This pilot study included 18 progressive MS patients who participated in a prospective longitudinal study of fatigue following a diet-based multimodal intervention that included exercise, neuromuscular electrical stimulation and stress reduction. The diet recommended high intake of vegetables and fruits, encouraged consumption of animal and plant protein and excluded foods with gluten-containing grains, dairy and eggs. Fatigue was measured on the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) at baseline and every 3 months for 12 months. A lipid profile consisting of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) was obtained on fasting blood samples at baseline and 12 months.

Results
FSS scores decreased from a baseline of 5.51 (95% CI: 4.86, 6.16) to a mean of 3.03 (95% CI: 2.23, 3.82) at 12 months (p < 0.001). At 12 months, increases in HDL-C (mean change: +6.0 mg/dl; 95% CI: 0.3, 12.0; p = 0.049) and decreases in BMI (mean change: -2.6 kg/m2; 95% CI: -3.6, -2.5; p < 0.001), LDL-C (mean change: -10.4 mg/dl; 95% CI:-19.7, -1.2; p = 0.029), TG (mean change: -29.2 mg/dl; 95% CI: -44.3, -14.2; p = 0.001), TG to HDL-C ratio (mean change: -0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.002) and TC to HDL-C ratio (mean change:-0.6; 95% CI: -1.0, -0.3; p = 0.003) were observed compared to baseline. Improvements in FSS were associated with increases in HDL-C (β = -0.05; 95% CI: -0.1, -0.0004; p = 0.048) and changes in TC (p = 0.005) from baseline to 12 months.

Conclusions
Lipid profile variables are associated with improvements in fatigue in progressive MS patients on a diet-based multimodal intervention.

FULL STUDY:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ar...l.pone.0218075

[ActiveMSers]

Here's my lipid panel from last month. My diet includes beer and Cheetos. And exercise.

Component Your Value Standard Range
Triglyceride 70 mg/dL <150 mg/dL
Cholesterol 178 mg/dL <200 mg/dL
HDL 74 mg/dL >40 mg/dL
LDL (calc) 90 mg/dL <100 mg/dL

LDL Cholesterol-Primary Target of Therapy
<100.......Optimal
100-129....Near optimal/above optimal
130-159....Borderline high
160-189....High
>190.......Very high

Total Cholesterol
<200.......Desirable
200-239....Borderline high
>240.......High

HDL Cholesterol (higher is better)
<40........Low
>60........High

ATP III Classification of Serum Triglycerides
<150........Normal
150-199.....Borderline high
200-499.....High
>500........Very High

[AMFADVENTURES]

Have to completely agree with you, there are way too many variables in that study to be able to say that diet made the difference, IMHO, a great example of wasted time and money.

BUT, the ActiveMSer Beer and Cheetos diet obviously has tremendous potential. Put that in book form, maybe add a carrot and a chocolate soy kale extract bar and presto! The next great MS diet!!

Good luck