Boston, MA – Multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive disease that affects 2.8 million people worldwide and for which there is no definitive cure, is likely caused by infection with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to a study led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers.
It's recommended that people with MS avoid certain foods, including processed meats, refined carbs, junk foods, trans fats, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Other tips to manage MS symptoms include: making meals in bulk.
Countless studies show a link between food and overall wellbeing. But there's no evidence to suggest that following a certain diet can prevent, treat, or cure MS.
Avocados are another one of the best foods for Multiple Sclerosis due to their strong anti-inflammatory properties. They are rich in monounsaturated fats, lutein, glutathione, vitamin E, and phenolic antioxidants, all of which help to fight inflammation.
The risk of MS is substantially reduced among those who reported a high consumption of coffee, exceeding 900 ml daily OR 0.70 (95% CI 0.49–0.99 in the Swedish study) and OR 0.69 (95% CI 0.5–0.96 in the US study). No significant association was found between coffee or caffeine intake and the risk of MS.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, an anti-inflammatory diet should include foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges. There's some evidence that consuming these foods could be beneficial for MS.
“Many drugs substantially decrease progression of MS, but don't reverse the course of the disease,” says Seema K. Tiwari-Woodruff, PhD, professor of biomedical sciences in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside. For that, she says, drugs that protect or regrow myelin are needed.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) triggers that worsen symptoms or cause a relapse can include stress, heart disease and smoking. While some are easier to avoid than others, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and overall health and wellness can have outsized benefits for MS patients.
An MS exacerbation needs to be distinguished from a pseudoexacerbation, which usually lasts less than 24 hours. Typical triggers of pseudoexacerbation include high body temperature, (fever/infection, too much exercise or activity), menses, new medications and stress.
However, a recent meta-analysis concluded that vitamin D supplementation (low or high dose) did not significantly affect disability and relapse rate in MS patients during treatment [63].
Women are up to three times as likely as men to have relapsing-remitting MS. The risk for MS in the general population is about 0.5%. If a parent or sibling has MS, your risk is about twice that or about 1%. Certain infections are also important.
Research has demonstrated that MS occurs in most ethnic groups, including African Americans, Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but is most common among white people of northern European descent.
Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone, or chemical messenger, in the body.
New research, which features in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, finds that having a cocoa drink every day for 6 weeks helps combat fatigue in people living with multiple sclerosis.
Eat More Low-Fat Dairy
The National MS Society recommends 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day for adults ages 25 to 65 and 1,500 milligrams per day for postmenopausal women, preferably from calcium-rich food sources like low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese.
However, many people in the MS community have found that there is a direct link between what they eat and their MS symptoms. While every person with MS likely has a different list of foods they avoid, there is a lot of overlap in terms of the worst offenders.
Alcohol's Effect on MS Symptoms
Even one drink can make issues like unsteadiness worse. “If you have a lot of trouble with balance, thinking, or memory symptoms from MS, it may be better to avoid alcohol altogether,” says Graves. Alcohol can also lead to sleep problems and worsen bladder symptoms.
Diana: The best MS exercises are aerobic exercises, stretching, and progressive strength training. Aerobic exercise is any activity that increases your heart rate, like walking, jogging, or swimming. You just don't want to overdo it—it should be done at a moderate level.
About 15% of patients will never necessitate assistance with ambulation, while 5-10% will do so within 5 years, and another 10% will do so in 15 years. Average patient will take about 28 years from the point of diagnosis to necessitate assistance while walking, and will be about 60 years of age.
Though regular aerobic exercise can increase strength and balance, improve bowel and bladder control, and decrease spasticity related to MS, it can backfire if you don't take a gentle approach — and very vigorous exercise isn't necessary for better health.
Some people are told they have benign MS. The term benign MS is sometimes used to describe a version of relapsing remitting MS with very mild or no attacks separated by long periods with no symptoms. 'Benign' means 'something doesn't cause any harm'.