Words: Dr Loredana ORTIZ
Multiple sclerosis [MS] is a debilitating disease. There are no quick answers for the malady, albeit nature knows best to ease the disorder — gently and also effectively. You gotcha it right — nutritional medicine is often handy to speeding up recovery time for MS patients.
First things first. There’s a shortfall of essential fatty acids [EFAs] in most MS patients. Although there is a certain palpable controversy on this point, research suggests that MS could be eased with appropriate dietary measures, along with proper lifestyle and other changes. Most MS patients report of full recovery, while combining all key components of natural healing.
Seed oils, olive oils, fish oils, fresh fruits and vegetables are essential in providing the omega fatty acids that MS patients need. I’d also recommend a typical anti-inflammatory diet, in addition to turmeric, a great ant-inflammatory herb, too. Turmeric [curcumin] as a nutritional supplement, should be taken for a minimum of 3-6 months to see any real, good results.
Also, what is of vital for MS patients is the need to stay away from processed foods and saturated fats, as this will worsen their illness. Meat-eaters — not vegetarians — are at a higher risk of a ‘flare-up.’
MS sufferers need to pay special attention to the following supplements in their diets, since they tend to be deficient:
- Magnesium
- Zinc
- Folic acid
- Amino acids
- Manganese
- Selenium
- Essential [omega] fatty acids
- Vitamins B-1, B-6 and B-12
- Deficiency of biotin also plays a role in the metabolism of fatty acids; having this deficiency causes symptoms analogous to MS.
Attend To Allergies
MS patients need to pay particular attention to food allergies and food sensitivities; they can worsen the condition. Here’s a list of foods to avoid:
- Caffeine
- Tannin [from tea and wine]
- Yeast
- Sugar
- Wheat
- Gluten
- Corn additives
- Fermented products
- Ketch-up
- Vinegar
- Dairy foods can contribute to sinusitis and produce related symptoms. Candidiasis, leaky gut syndrome and heavy metal toxicity are major causes of the development of this flagging illness too.
Yes, special attention needs to be given to the following environmental toxins — it would be better to control, if not eliminate them from one’s home.
- Chemicals in foods and tap water
- Carbon monoxide
- Diesel fumes
- Fumes from gas water heaters
- Solvents
- Aerosol sprays
- Chipboard and foam from furniture and carpets
- Mercury dental amalgams [fillings].
Detecting Toxicity
Sweat mineral test could be done to detect levels of toxicity from heavy metals. It’d be advisable to analyse antioxidant capacity too.
The basic components to treating MS are as follows:
- Low saturated fat diet 15gm maximum, daily; the patient must switch to polyunsaturated fats like sunflower, safflower and olive oils
- Patients must avoid solid fats, hydrogenated oils, margarine, red meat, dairy, eggs, shellfish, alcohol, sugar, chocolate, MSG, yeast, additives, and salt
- Patients must include tofu, mung beans, sprouts, millet, organic oat cakes, fresh organic poultry, some nuts and seeds, tahini, a majority of vegetables and select fruits
- Omega [3 and 6] fatty acids, ALA [alpha-lipoic-acid], flaxseed, dark leafy greens, hemp seed, soy and walnut oils, pumpkin and sesame seeds, salmon, bluefish, bass, trout, brown/red algae, borage oil, and spirulina, should be part of your diet
- Myelin sheath requires massive amounts of essential fatty acids to repair. Enemas of cold pressed flaxseed oil, walnut, or sunflower oil, may also be inserted daily for faster absorption [for the first three weeks, 50cc daily; the dose can be lowered to 5-10cc, three times a week, thereafter]
- For pain management, rub the affected area with a mixture of 95 per cent olive oil and 5 per cent essence of juniper, or rosemary
- Short fasts of juice therapy are highly beneficial to give the system a break
- Lymphatic drainage, manual massage, or jumping on a mini-trampoline for 10-15 minutes, and lying with the legs elevated at 90-degree angle to ‘work’ the folds of the body, where the legs meet the abdomen, assist in lymph drainage.
