Right diet may be the best way to beat multiple sclerosis and sizzle too August 27, 2008
Posted by Rebecca Hoover in Diet - the right diet for MS, what you need to eat.Tags: Add new tag, Hope, Jelinek, MS Diet, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, Swank Diet
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Drop dead georgeous from eating right.
As each year passes, doctors and scientists learn more and more about what is needed to manage MS instead of having MS manage you. With a modern science-based approach to MS, the odds are on your side. A key part of a science-based approach involves having the right diet.
Realistically, the best medicines in the world are unlikely to make you well if you have a lousy diet. A good diet is essential for those with MS, just as it is essential for everyone, but those with MS are wise to be extra careful about what they eat. Studies show some foods may make MS worse and others seem to help reduce MS symptoms. The right diet will help you keep your sizzle and even make you look more youthful and more attractive. In other words, you can forget disability and start thinking about wellness and being classy. You may not be able to cure MS but, most likely, you can beat it.
Numerous studies have shown a relationship between diet and MS. Dr. Roy Swank, a professor and neurologist at a university’s medical school in Oregon, believed that eating too much saturated fat helps cause MS. Other studies have found, MS is more frequent where Vitamin D deficiencies are common, when too much animal fat is consumed and even when too many sweets are eaten. At the same time, one study shows that eating whole grains and fruits and vegetables helps protect against MS.
Most important for those with MS, Dr. Swank studied the impact of diet on MS patients. He found that those who followed a low-fat, ultra healthy diet he planned, often lived normal lives. In fact, he wrote that 95% of patients who started following his diet shortly after diagnosis never became disabled. In contrast, he reported those who did not eat a healthy low-fat diet, often became disabled and died at a relatively young age.
Dr. Swank carefully defined what a low-fat diet is because he was so concerned about the impact of saturated fats on those with MS. His diet prohibits eating of more than 15 grams of saturated fats each day and recommends eating of only 20 to 50 grams of unsaturated fats each day. Of course, Dr. Swank’s diet also prohibits eating of any transfats, monoglycerides and diglycerides because the health problems caused by these are well known.
I believe I have no visible symptoms today because way back in 1992, shortly after I was diagnosed I found information on Swank’s theories about a low-fat, ultra-healthy diet and started following his advice. (I take no drugs.) Best of all, you can try his advice for free. You can borrow his classic book from your local library using an interlibrary loan if necessary. Otherwise, you can buy is book at a modest price at Amazon.com. His book is entitled The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book by Roy Laver Swank. This book is so important for anyone with MS that it should be required reading. If you read nothing else about MS, this is the book to read.
If the opportunity for better health is not enough to get you to try Dr. Swank’s diet for a few months, please consider this: his diet will make you look better than you have ever looked. When you start eating the right fats, taking fish or cod liver oil, taking a few low-cost supplements, and eating fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you are going to be surprised at the difference in your appearance in a few months. Dr. Swank’s diet is precise, though, so be prepared to be precise when following it. Cheating is not a good idea.
An excellent web site that includes important information, including dietary recommendations prepared by a doctor, is Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis, prepared by Dr. George Jelinek who is also a professor of medicine. I love this web site and I highly recommend its use. Dr. Jelinek has MS himself and believes most can minimize MS symptoms with the right life style choices.
I also highly recommend Dr. Jelinek’s book. Of the many books I have read on MS, I most highly recommend those by Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek. Please note, though, that the recommendations of Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek do differ somewhat. I use combination of ideas from both. I tend to follow Dr. Swank’s recommendations on diet and Dr. Jelinek’s recommendations on supplements. (Please also note that I do not recommend the web site of the Swank Foundation that was founded by Dr. Swank. Dr. Swank is now deceased and, unfortunately, the web site of the Swank Foundation now includes recommendations that are not well-grounded in science.)
In summary, I’m not the only one who thinks the odds you can beat MS are good if you eat a healthy diet and follow the other advice included here. A couple of professors agree with much of what is included here. So, best wishes in changing your life style. Eat healthy to live healthy and look drop dead gorgeous!
I will include more information on how you can maximize your sizzle in upcoming blogs.
Please let me know if you find my blog helpful. Please add a comment. What did you like? What would you like added? Thanks! Together we can change the way the world views MS.
Is that veggie juice or what? (Er, I do not think so.)
Please remember to consult your doctors about how to stay as healthy as possible. Nothing here should be interpreted as medical advice. Instead, please use the information you find here in your discussions with your doctor.
Copyright 2008 Rebecca Hoover
Tags: Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Diet – the right diet for MS, Fatigue, Fish Oil, Food, MS, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, Prevent, Rebif, Relapses, Sizzle, Tysabri
I haven’t tried the Swank diet. I have certainly heard about it though. I am not on any MS drugs (yet). I was just officially diagnosed back in October of last year. I am waiting for my next MRI to make any decisions. While I am not fond of the idea of the MS drugs I am more open to thinking about trying one. I do believe in trying to be as healthy as you can and upping the odds in your favor. I do believe in using natural remedies and treatments but I am not so much a believer in any claims for “beating” any disease or disorder. To imply causation…well…that is a big leap. I do trust science and research to give us a better understanding of what treaments work best.
My MS is not your MS and for that matter everyone is unique in their presentation and symptoms of their disease. What works for one person may not work for another. Some people are going to have a more benign course and you can’t always assume that their “healthy lifestyle” is the cause.
So those are my general thoughts. You do have some great ideas though. I will be back to read more.
Merely Me,
You are wise to be skeptical about claims. The disease modifying drugs for MS only produce a reduction of relapses of about 30%. At the same time, do remember that most with MS never end up in a wheel chair.
That said, do remember that, like those coping with almost every other disease, those with MS do better if they take care of themselves. It is vitally important to adopt a healthy life style–to eat right, sleep enough, exercise, avoid heat, etc. The research supports this view as does every major organization serving those with MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society and others all take the time to encourage those with MS to eat right, sleep enough, etc.
Many, many studies document nutritional deficiencies among those with MS. It is very important that those with MS correct nutritional deficiencies. Also, many studies show improved outcomes for those who make life style improvements such as exercising and sleeping enough.
Best wishes. Do remember to eat right, sleep enough, exercise, avoid heat, etc. The best medicines in the world cannot overcome foolish life style choices.
Rebecca,
I was so pleased to find your website -people like you are an inspiration to the rest of us!
I came across George Jelinek’s book in April this year and I never looked back! It took me a while to totally give up red meat, but I have done so for about 3 months now. I do still allow myself to eat chicken a couple of times a week (Swank version) but I am very strict about avoiding all dairy and saturated fat. I take Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, flax seed oil and omega-3 fish oil. I also take amantadine, which is a Parkinson’s disease drug, which helps some MS patients with fatigue. It has the added bonus of being an anti-viral drug so I don’t tend to catch colds or suffer from infections.
The diet has made a huge difference to my life – the fatigue has been considerably reduced and my balance is much, much better. I am much more ‘with it’ mentally which helps a lot at work! Two things I haven’t managed to get rid of yet are my bladder weakness and the ‘foot drop’. The foot drop has decreased a lot, but if I try to walk further than about 2 miles (or sooner on ‘bad’ days) then it kicks in again and I start tripping up, falling over my own foot! The bladder weakness came with my second relapse and has never gone away. Is it likely to when I have been on the diet a bit longer? There doesn’t seem to be anything about this subject on your website. It usually varies in severity based on the ‘time of the month’ but my consultant just laughed when I told him this.
I would appreciate any advice you may have and congratulations on having created a great website!
I felt some relief reading your story–Thanx. I would like to know what you do eat. I am trying to get starteed with the diet. It is going to require a fairly major change in my buying/cooking habits. I am asking for suggestions if its not too personal.
Again. thank you for sharing your story. It brought me HOPE following my major flare in March 09. You see your message helped even almost a year later.
Hello.. I have newly discovered blogging after a recent flare with my MS. My discovery led me to this site even though I have great trouble typing.
I am frustrated with the medical side of MS treatments and have recently made decisons to use some of the diets you have mentioned here. I want to use Dr. Swanks diet. I am not sure how to proceed now as I have never been on a diet before. I guess just start–right?
Basically I would really just like to get some menus….help if you can…thnx
Rebecca – an excellent site full of much useful information thanks. I have been on the Swank diet, as refined by Professor George Jelinek in Australia, for over nine months and have had one of the symptoms mentioned in the comment by Julie Calder (above) all but disappear. I’m doubly heartened by that fact, since the diet is supposed to have no effect under 9 months and full effect only after 3 to 5 years .. so an improvement at this stage is great. Incidentally George Jelinek’s book is being revised and expanded and is coming out in early 2010 – if I’m correct as “Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis” with the publisher Allen & Unwin. I’d very much recommend it, his altruistic work generally and his informative website that you mention, to anyone with MS – the disease is not the terror it once was before the diet studies commenced by Swank and since refined. Congrats on your helpful website .. serendipitously I have recently started a site of my own (www.kensmsrecovery.com) .. best wishes, KB.