Dietary Tips for Treating Multiple Sclerosis

Photo Courtesy Of: Hemera/Thinkstock

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, degenerative disease of the nerves in your brain and spinal column, caused through a demyelization process.

Myelin is the insulating, waxy substance around the nerves in your central nervous system.

When the myelin is damaged by an autoimmune disease or self-destructive process in your body, the function of those nerves deteriorate over time, resulting in a number of symptoms, including:

Muscle weakness
Imbalance, or loss of coordination
Astigmatism and vision loss
Tremors

MS may progress steadily, or acute attacks may be followed by a temporary remission of symptoms.

In the video above, Dr. Terry Wahls tells the inspiring story of how she reversed multiple sclerosis after seven years of deterioration on the best conventional treatments available — simply by changing her diet!

Nutrition for Your Brain and Central Nervous System

Through her research into MS, Dr. Wahls discovered that, for some unknown reason, in addition to the commonly known symptoms, MS patients’ brains also tend to shrink. This roused her curiosity, and led her to research other diseases that have similar brain shrinkage, namely Huntington’s, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease. One common denominator is poorly functioning mitochondria. Mitochondria are like little ‘batteries’ in your cells that manage the energy supply to the cell, and unless you consume the correct nutrients, eventual mitochondrial malfunction is the obvious result.

She discovered that three nutrients in particular are essential for proper mitochondrial function:

1. Animal-based omega-3 fat

2. Creatine

3. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or better yet the reduced version known as Ubiquinol.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Megan G.

9:03PM PST on Feb 13, 2012

Interesting article and comments. Thanks, Care2ers, for the reminder of Swank diet. I'm going to read about that again... 'cause I hurt 24/7.

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Rosemary G.

4:27AM PST on Jan 30, 2012

Just like the animals who have survived in the wild for many millenium our ancestors did too without doctors and pharmaceutical companies. I remember a study done years ago by discovery health channel and people in the south pacific in Hawaii (just like all the other native Americans) who suffer diabetes. They were put on the diet of their ancestors before white incursion and just after one month only, all symptoms had disappeared! We are indeed what we eat..The key to good cooking is to use fresh ingredients every day. I shop every other day and keep very little in the refrigerator except for leftovers.

NO FW NEWS AM R.

8:17AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Ver

John S.

7:28AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

Thanks, but I'm not certain if you threw light or darkness onto the topic.

Masha S.

4:41AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

I agree with Trudy as my husband has and uses Dr Swank's diet

Sue M.

2:38AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

I printed this out for a friend - interesting article thanks

Anton K.

12:38AM PST on Jan 27, 2012

I have actually seen this first hand in a friend. When she took care of herself (organic vegan), you couldn't even tell she had MS, but just a few compromises would bring it back very quickly.

William K.

9:15PM PST on Jan 26, 2012

This was an awesome article. I am going to print it out.

6:31PM PST on Jan 26, 2012

thanks

Nancy B.

4:18PM PST on Jan 26, 2012

Interesting, but MS is a disease that is not consistent; what works for one person might not work for another.