Diet.
Few words elicit such a divided set of emotions: maybe you have never even considered the type of foods that you eat; maybe you have been lucky enough to eat whatever you fancy whenever you fancy; or perhaps you have always focussed on making heath-based choices, avoiding so-called 'unhealthy' foods and trusting that if you followed the rules you would remain free from illness. As a society we have been conditioned to consider the word 'diet' to mean 'restriction', 'limiting' or 'cutting out' certain foods but in reality diet simply means the amount and type of food that we routinely eat. See - not as scary or judgement-ridden as you may have imagined.
Whatever your previous pattern of energy consumption (eating; because that is the main purpose of consuming food in the first place) now that we have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (which is the general consensus of what MS is) perhaps you have become curious about steps you can take to improve symptoms or just to make yourself 'feel better' you may have considered changing your diet or simply 'eating more healthily'. In 2014 The Multiple Sclerosis Trust (UK) reported in a review of the literature on diet as a complimentary/additional therapy, that 50-75% of people with the condition indicated that they follow a particular dietary regime. Given the widely reported benefits of diet in the prevention of diseases such as certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease it is understandable that there is a focus now on diet in the hope of avoiding developing further conditions.
This is a current and expanding area of interest; there has been much recent research around whether diet can help improve symptoms of MS or even prognosis. You have probably seen or heard of individuals cited in the media claiming that they have managed to 'cure' their MS through strict diet protocols; we will summarise some of the more popular diets being discussed around MS; but as a scientist the recommendations remain in line with the dietary guidelines for the UK as detailed on the 'What is a healthy diet?' page.
However there is a big part of the diet debate around knowing that works best for you and your body; perhaps you knew that a diet of 30% starchy carbohydrates (bread, pasta and rice) doesn't make you feel good, or that you prefer to have five small meals each day rather than three larger meals and two smaller snacks or even (horror!) that your body cant face an early breakfast but prefers to eat around 11am?
Only you know what works best for you, but we can provide guidance on what a healthy diet looks like provide some tips to keep you on track. The MS Trust advice on how to approach diet echoes this with recommendation of a 'try it and see' approach.
Whatever your previous pattern of energy consumption (eating; because that is the main purpose of consuming food in the first place) now that we have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease (which is the general consensus of what MS is) perhaps you have become curious about steps you can take to improve symptoms or just to make yourself 'feel better' you may have considered changing your diet or simply 'eating more healthily'. In 2014 The Multiple Sclerosis Trust (UK) reported in a review of the literature on diet as a complimentary/additional therapy, that 50-75% of people with the condition indicated that they follow a particular dietary regime. Given the widely reported benefits of diet in the prevention of diseases such as certain cancers, diabetes and heart disease it is understandable that there is a focus now on diet in the hope of avoiding developing further conditions.
This is a current and expanding area of interest; there has been much recent research around whether diet can help improve symptoms of MS or even prognosis. You have probably seen or heard of individuals cited in the media claiming that they have managed to 'cure' their MS through strict diet protocols; we will summarise some of the more popular diets being discussed around MS; but as a scientist the recommendations remain in line with the dietary guidelines for the UK as detailed on the 'What is a healthy diet?' page.
However there is a big part of the diet debate around knowing that works best for you and your body; perhaps you knew that a diet of 30% starchy carbohydrates (bread, pasta and rice) doesn't make you feel good, or that you prefer to have five small meals each day rather than three larger meals and two smaller snacks or even (horror!) that your body cant face an early breakfast but prefers to eat around 11am?
Only you know what works best for you, but we can provide guidance on what a healthy diet looks like provide some tips to keep you on track. The MS Trust advice on how to approach diet echoes this with recommendation of a 'try it and see' approach.
Sources:
MS Trust (2014) Diet Factsheet
MS Trust (2014) Diet Factsheet
