Refined sugar A small study found that MS patients who drink more sugar-sweetened beverages like soda tend to have more severe disease. High sugar intake also is linked with a higher risk of other conditions, like diabetes and heart disease, that may exacerbate the symptoms of MS.
This may trigger overeating, and overall it's a vicious cycle.” While not a direct correlation to MS, adding extra weight due to eating and drinking excessive sugar lead to chronic inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, fatigue, and depression. Cutting back on sugar can have many health benefits, including MS and fatigue.
Too much sugar, especially in the form of sweets, can pack on the pounds. “You don't want to increase your weight, because it's going to make it more difficult for you to be mobile and perform activities of daily living,” says Jamieson-Petonic. Excess weight also increases fatigue, a common symptom of MS.
A 2019 study by researchers in Australia found at least 32 websites offering dietary advice for people with MS. In addition to recommending specific foods, these meal plans cautioned against a number of supposed MS triggers, including dairy foods, gluten, saturated fat, and refined sugar.
Many foods we eat today can cause inflammation which is something you want to avoid when you are living with multiple sclerosis. There are many foods that can cause inflammation in the body. Processed foods, dairy products, red meat, and fried foods are some of the most common offenders.
Ways to Treat a Flare-Up
The goal is to bring down the inflammation that caused your symptoms. Your doctor will likely prescribe a steroid drug. Steroids curb inflammation and can help you get over a relapse faster.
Research shows hot chocolate could help reduce fatigue
Our research shows Flavonoids found in cocoa could help reduce fatigue in people with relapsing MS.
Given the potential risks for people with MS of consuming dairy products, despite a lack of conclusive evidence, Overcoming MS recommends avoiding cow's milk products as part of the Overcoming MS program.
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.
If you want to add honey to your MS management regimen, first talk with your neurologist or health care provider to get medical advice. They may be able to help you add honey in a way that will be safe, minimize potential side effects such as allergic reactions, and offer the best chance of helping you feel better.
Other medications are used to speed recovery from an MS attack. Some of the medications that a doctor might prescribe for relapses or attacks of MS include: A 3-to-5-day course of corticosteroids to treat inflammation and reduce the duration of the attack.
Overcoming MS diet
The overcoming MS (OMS) diet is a plant-based diet that also includes fish and seafood, but cuts out all processed foods, eggs, meat, dairy, and saturated fats.
In conclusion, it appears that drinking a moderate amount of caffeine shouldn't have any ill-effect on people with MS. However it is up to you whether you choose to consume caffeine depending on whether you enjoy it and how it affects you. So you can keep enjoying your almond milk latte or morning espresso.
A Belgian study published in the European Journal of Neurology found that people with MS who included coffee in their diet had a slower progression of disability. However, other studies have found caffeine has no impact on the development of MS-related disabilities.
High doses of other vitamins can antagonize your immune-modulating, immunosuppressive therapies used to manage MS. Supplements that stimulate the immune system should be avoided in high doses. Those include selenium, zinc, B1, B2, folic acid, B6, vitamin A, biotin, magnesium, copper, and manganese.
Research tells us exercise can help you manage multiple sclerosis symptoms, including fatigue, and problems with balance and walking. Exercising can also: improve your mood.
What do MS attacks feel like? MS attack symptoms vary, including problems with balance and coordination, vision problems, trouble concentrating, fatigue, weakness, or numbness and tingling in your limbs.
Tiredness is one of the most common symptoms of a flare. You may also experience weakness or malaise (a general overall feeling of sickness). During a flare, fatigue may be caused by cytokines — substances produced by the immune system.
Exercise strengthens the muscles that help you walk. It also eases fatigue, boosts mood, and improves quality of life in people with MS. There's even some evidence that strength training might help slow MS damage in the brain. An exercise program for MS includes 150 minutes of "aerobics" each week.