The first time I met Lynn Shapiro, a pretty woman in her early 40s, I couldn't help but notice
her shaky voice and, nearby, an aluminum walker. Lynn told me, without being self-conscious,
that she had multiple sclerosis (MS). She politely turned down my suggestion that a particular
vitamin supplement might help, adding that she had absolute trust in her physician. The last
time I saw Lynn, years later, she was more frail, and now behind the wheel of a motorized cart.
In contrast, Matt Embry was 18 years old when he began having problems with balance and severe leg twitches. A magnetic resonance imaging scan revealed a dozen scab-like lesions in his brain and spinal column. Like Lynn, Matt was diagnosed with MS - but he chose a different path. He decided to eat simple, natural foods and avoided all junk foods, including dairy products and gluten-containing grains (e.g. wheat). He also started taking hefty doses of vitamin supplements and underwent acupuncture treatments. Today, Matt is symptom free and works as a producer at a Canadian television station.
What Is MS?
MS, which affects an estimated 350,000-500,000 Americans, is a debilitating neurological disease that can cause a spectrum of symptoms: extreme fatigue, weakness, a lack of balance, difficulty walking, double vision, speech problems, and depression. For reasons that remain mysterious, it strikes more women than men, most often between ages 20-40, and people of northern European descent (in contrast to Asians and Africans).
Doctors regard MS as an "autoimmune" disease, in which immune cells mistakenly attack myelin, the sensitive sheaths insulating nerve cells. The immune cells attack and inflame the myelin, which is similar to the plastic insulating electrical wires, forming scar-like lesions. The effect is similar to an electrical short circuit, interrupting the normal transmission of nerve signals. The random location of nerve damage accounts for the many different symptoms of MS.
Although people with MS may have periods of remission, symptoms typically become worse - and crippling - over the years. On average, the life expectancy of people with MS is about one-fourth less than that of people without the disease.
What Really Causes MS?
If you visit the web sites sponsored by the national Multiple Sclerosis Foundation and drug companies, you'll quickly discover that, officially, MS has no known cause and no known cure. But while there is no single cause or cure, several factors do increase the risk of MS - and others may reverse it.
Genetic susceptibility. There does seem to be a genetic predisposition to MS, though no single genetic cause has been identified. In addition to the racial patterns related to risk, first-degree relatives of people with MS, such as brothers and sisters, are 20 to 40 times more likely to develop the disease. In general, any genetic susceptibility appears to remain dormant unless triggered by one or more other factors, including infections, food allergies, and nutritional deficiencies.
Infections. Viruses have sometimes been identified at the site of MS myelin damage, but no single virus has been consistently found in MS patients. Instead of a specific viral cause, it appears that chronic infections, such as with some forms of the herpes virus or the Epstein-Barr virus, may increase the risk of MS. Still, it is not clear whether viruses actually break down the myelin. Instead, the body's white blood cells may overreact to a virus or perceived threat and attack the myelin.
Food allergies. The body's immune system generally ignores foreign food proteins (e.g., meat, vegetables) but reacts to other foreign proteins (e.g., viruses and bacteria). Occasionally, in a process called molecular mimicry, harmless proteins are so similar to harmful ones that the body reacts to them. This misguided reaction accounts for many food allergies, and specific immune responses to the casein in milk and gluten in wheat and other grains have been well documented in other diseases. A similar process occurs in at least some cases of MS.
Nutrient deficiencies. Research has pointed to a lack of vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, and other nutrients in MS. Here's why. The prevalence of MS generally increases among populations living farther from the equator, with the exceptions being among people living at high altitudes (where sun exposure is greater) or in coastal regions (where fish is a dietary staple). Modest daily exposure to sunlight triggers the body's production of vitamin D, and exposure to sunlight is greatest along the equator and at high altitudes, lowest in northern and southern latitudes. Fish oil, particularly those from coldwater fish swimming in extreme latitudes, is rich in both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
Dietary Treatments
A simple, natural diet and specific supplements may help many people with MS, though these are not sanctioned by most MS organizations. These approaches will likely yield greater benefits in the early, rather than late, stages of MS.
Paleolithic diet. The human race grew up eating natural foods: wild game meat, fish, and vegetables. None of these foods were processed beyond cooking, and non contained additives. S. Boyd Eaton, M.D., an expert on the Paleolithic diet at Emory University, Atlanta, has argued in scientific papers that such a stone-age diet may be what people are best suited to eat.
None of us can hunt mastodon anymore. However, it is possible to emulate a Paleolithic diet with lean meats, skinless chicken, fish, and lots of vegetables (in both variety and quantity). Paleolithic people did not eat grains; nor did they consume cow's milk. According to Loren Cordain, Ph.D., author of The Paleo Diet (Wiley, 2002), grains reduce vitamin D absorption and utilization. In addition, there is some evidence suggesting that cow's milk proteins may trigger a variety of autoimmune diseases, including MS. other types of autoimune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes.
In adopting a Paleolithic diet, it is important to avoid common vegetable oils (corn, safflower, soy), which are modern additions to the diet and are also rich in pro-inflammatory omega-6 fatty acids. Similarly, it's also crucial to avoid "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils," which are rich in trans fatty acids. Hydrogenation makes vegetable oils more like saturated fats, and trans fatty acids interfere with the body's use of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Vitamin D. Recent research by Colleen E. Hayes, Ph.D., a biochemist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has shown that vitamin D suppresses the autoimmune reaction underlying MS. In experiments with laboratory mice, Hayes found that vitamin D raised levels of two anti inflammatory compounds (interleukin-4 and transforming growth factor beta-1) and stopped the progression of the animals' version of MS. The study has clear relevance to people. MS patients lose bone mass three to seven times faster than do other people, and they are 10 times more likely to experience fractures - both signs of inadequate vitamin D.
Brief exposures to sunlight (15-30 minutes daily) stimulate the body's production of vitamin D, and people living or working in sunny climates may produce more than 10,000 IU daily. According to Hayes, a very high dose - 4,000 IU daily - may be required to achieve normal levels of the vitamin among people who do not receive sunlight. This dose is 10 times higher than the recommended Daily Value, and because large chronic doses of vitamin D may be toxic, it's best to take it under the guidance of your physician. He can monitor your blood levels of vitamin D, which should be around 100 nmol/L (nanomoles per liter of blood).
Omega-3 fatty acids. The omega-3 fatty acids are the building blocks of the body's anti inflammatory eicosanoids, a family of hormone-like compounds. Coldwater fish, such as salmon and mackerel, are especially rich in two of these fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), who anti-inflammatory properties have been confirmed in many studies. In one, physicians at Trondheim University Hospital, Norway, found that 0.9 grams daily of omega-3 fish oil supplements significantly reduced MS symptoms in 16 patients. In general, gamma-linolenic acid, found in borage seed oil and evening primrose oil, and olive oil enhance the anti-inflammatory effects of omega-3 fatty acids, so a combination of supplements might be best.
Antioxidants. Antioxidant nutrients suppress a variety of pro-inflammatory substances in the body. For example, in one study, supplements of natural vitamin E (1,200 IU daily) reduced production of interleukin-6 by 50 percent and C-reactive protein by 30 percent, both powerful promoters of inflammation. Quercetin, an antioxidant flavonoid (found in onions and apples), inhibits some types of adhesion molecules, which also fuel inflammatory reactions. Other anti-inflammatory flavonoids include Pycnogenol® and grape-seed extract.
Vitamin B12. Several years ago, British physicians noted that MS patients were routinely deficient in vitamin B12. Although this and other B vitamins are needed for normal function of nerve cells and neurotransmitters, they are rarely recommended to MS patients. But the benefits of vitamin B12 are impressive. In one study, Japanese researchers gave six patients 60,000 mcg (60 mg) of vitamin B12 daily for six months. The patients' visual and hearing problems improved, though their muscle function did not.
Because of the progressive nature of MS, heroic actions are needed to reverse it or reduce symptoms. Conventional medicine offers few treatment options for people with MS, and ultimately every person must be responsible for taking charge of their health. With promising and safe nutritional remedies for MS, it only makes sense to give them a try.
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The information provided by Jack Challem is strictly educational and not intended as medical
advice. For diagnosis and treatment, consult your physician.