Some patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) report that they feel better and are less likely to relapse when they make particular dietary changes. Currently, there isn’t any scientific evidence to support these claims, though. Although dietary changes may help in some ways, there is no one best diet for people with MS.
In general, a healthy diet is important for everyone. Your diet is a big factor when it comes to how much energy you have on a day-to-day basis. At least 80% of all MS patients experience fatigue as one of their symptoms, so you need a healthy energy supply in order to handle this disease.
Your doctor should recommend a balanced diet as part of your MS treatment plan. Be sure to talk to your doctor or nutritionist before making any changes, including adding supplements, to your diet.
How Can Your Diet Impact Your Symptoms?
In general, what you eat affects your health in ways that could impact your MS symptoms. For this reason, it’s important to:
- Maintain a healthy body weight. Being overweight with MS may increase the occurrence and severity of your symptoms. Exercise regularly and use a balanced diet.
- Maintain good cardiovascular health. MS symptoms can get worse when you have a lot of the risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Stick to a heart-healthy diet with less red meat and alcohol.
- Keep your gut microbiome healthy. The exact bacteria found in your gut microbiome is dependent on what you eat. These bacteria affect your immune system, which can impact your MS symptoms.
- Get all of your required vitamins and minerals. These are needed to support your immune system.
General Dietary Recommendations
There are some specific foods and vitamins that have been scientifically studied in the context of MS. These include:
- Fruits and veggies. These are rich in antioxidants, and studies indicate that they can reduce MS symptoms like fatigue and depression. The more colors you eat, the more antioxidants you get. This leads some dieticians to recommend that you “eat the rainbow.”
- Omega-3s. This is a type of polyunsaturated fat found in fish oil. One study found that patients who ate a lot of fish rich in omega-3s had decreased disease activity, though another study found that daily supplements didn’t affect the disease at all. Omega-3s are also a blood thinner, so be sure to talk to your doctor before adding omega-3 supplements to your diet.
- Cow-based dairy. Some studies indicate that this type of dairy could confuse the immune system and lead to a worsening of the disease.
- Vitamin D. A lot of research is ongoing, but some studies have found that an increased amount of vitamin D leads to a lower chance of developing MS.
More research is needed on all of these items in order to determine their exact impact on MS. If you and your doctor have found a diet that works for you, stick to it. Generally, you want to find a diet that’s practical, enjoyable, and as firmly based on science as possible.
