It is a strict exclusion diet that recommends cutting out all dairy, grains, legumes, sugar-rich foods, and any foods that may cause an allergic reaction, such as eggs and yeast. It also recommends reducing the intake of saturated and polyunsaturated fats, salt, and alcohol.
The Autoimmune Protocol Diet
Foods to avoid include grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, refined sugars, industrial seed oils, eggs, nuts, seeds, nightshade vegetables, gum, alternative sweeteners, emulsifiers, and food thickeners, said Romano.
“People with MS, and many people in general, tend to feel better when eating a diet with more fruits and vegetables, unsaturated fats, lean meats and fish, legumes, beans, and whole grains, with less processed foods, red meat, sodium, and refined sugar,” says Dr. Gluck.
Processed foods, dairy products, red meat, and fried foods are some of the most common offenders. These foods can cause inflammation not only in the gut, but also in other parts of the body.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) triggers that worsen symptoms or cause a relapse can include stress, heart disease and smoking. While some are easier to avoid than others, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall health and wellness can have outsized benefits for MS patients.
The most common treatment regimen is a three or five-day course of intravenous (Solu-Medrol® - methylprednisolone) or oral (Deltasone® - prednisone) corticosteroids. Corticosteroids are not believed to have any long-term benefit on the disease.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, an anti-inflammatory diet should include foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges. There's some evidence that consuming these foods could be beneficial for MS.
The National MS Society recommends 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day for adults ages 25 to 65 and 1,500 milligrams per day for postmenopausal women, preferably from calcium-rich food sources like low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
Consuming eggs regularly can lead to an increased amount of swelling and joint pain. The yolks contain arachidonic acid, which helps trigger inflammation in the body. Eggs also contain saturated fat which can also induce joint pain.
Abstain from Eggs
Eggs can allow proteins (usually lysozyme, from the egg white) to cross the gut barrier where they don't belong and contribute to molecular mimicry. This is when antibodies form against not just foreign protein but also the normal protein in your body, as if it too is foreign.
Some of the foods to avoid that are known to affect the immune system in people with autoimmune diseases include: Nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants. Grains like wheat, rice, oats, rye, barley, and foods made from grains such as breakfast cereals, bread, pasta.
Dairy and MS. Overcoming MS strongly recommends that people with MS avoid dairy in their diet because research shows a high correlation between MS and dairy products, because of the high saturated fat content, and specific proteins in cow's milk.
People who responded blamed a variety of foods and ingredients for making them feel worse, such as sugar, dairy products, gluten (proteins in wheat and some other grains), and others. Cutting out culprit foods, many said, helped prevent relapses.
“Good options include 100 percent whole-grain crackers or bread sticks with low-fat cheese; fresh fruit; plain, low-fat, or fat-free yogurt; low-fat granola; a glass of low-fat or skim milk; and frozen blueberries,” says Elizabeth Somer, RD, the author of several books on nutrition, including Eat Your Way to Happiness.
Research shows hot chocolate could help reduce fatigue
Our research shows Flavonoids found in cocoa could help reduce fatigue in people with relapsing MS.
Activities such as exercise, meditation, yoga, massage, eating a healthier diet, acupuncture and relaxation techniques may help boost overall mental and physical well-being in patients with MS .
Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone, or chemical messenger, in the body.
The Overcoming MS diet
The OMS diet recommendations are similar to the Swank diet. It advises cutting out dairy and meat, and eating less fat – particularly saturated fat. It also recommends flaxseed oil as an omega 3 supplement and vitamin D supplements if you don't get out in the sun much.
A person with benign MS will have few symptoms or loss of ability after having MS for about 15 years, while most people with MS would be expected to have some degree of disability after that amount of time, particularly if their MS went untreated.
Take meds as directed. The drugs your doctor prescribes help slow your MS from getting worse and help prevent relapses. If you have side effects, don't just stop taking them.