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Author Topic: Diet and multiple sclerosis  (Read 3162 times)

Online Warren Dew

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Diet and multiple sclerosis
« on: February 15, 2011, 08:53:40 AM »
Every now and then someone shows up here looking at paleo as a possible solution to multiple sclerosis.  I always wonder how they get here because the multiple sclerosis diet with the most general acceptance - the Swank diet - is an extremely low fat diet that's not very compatible with paleo.  On the other hand, as an apparent "disease of civilization" with no obvious cause, multiple sclerosis seems like exactly the kind of thing one might expect paleo to be good for.  I figured I'd use this thread to start collecting peer reviewed sources that actually say something about diet and multiple sclerosis.

To start with, here's a paper that examined about 200,000 people in the nurses' health studies.  It looked at all sorts of dietary fat - animal, vegetable, omega 3, omega 6, saturated, unsaturated, trans - and found no statistically significant correlations with multiple sclerosis for any of them.

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Ecologic correlations suggest that higher intake of saturated fat and lower intake of polyunsaturated fat might increase the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the results of case-control studies have been inconsistent. Because no prospective data are available, the authors examined these associations in two large cohorts, the Nurses' Health Study, which consisted of 92,422 women with 14 years of follow-up (1980–1994) and the Nurses' Health Study II, which consisted of 95,389 women with 4 years of follow-up (1991–1995). They documented 195 new cases of MS. The pooled multivariate relative risks comparing women in the highest quintile with those in the lowest were 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 1.7) for total fat, 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.5, 1.2) for animal fat, 1.2 (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 2.1) for vegetable fat, 0.8 (95% confidence interval: 0.5, 1.3) for saturated fat, 1.1 (95% confidence interval: 0.7, 1.7) for monounsaturated fat, 1.7 (95% confidence interval 1.0, 2.8) for n-6 polyunsaturated fat, 1.3 (95% confidence interval: 0.8, 2.0) for trans unsaturated fat, and 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 1.1) for cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish were also unrelated to risk. However, the authors observed a nonsignificantly lower risk of MS for a higher intake of linolenic acid. These findings do not support relations between intakes of total fat or major specific types of fat and the risk of MS.

http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/152/11/1056.full

There is one statistically significant result among the many nonsignificant ones:  in the Nurses' Health Study II, larger quantities of animal fat were beneficial.  However, that wasn't true of the Nurses' Health Study I, and it may just be a fluke resulting from the fact that if you look at enough correlations, one of them will eventually have statistical significance just by chance.
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Offline kyleen66

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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2011, 09:33:28 AM »
There is actually a lot of information on the internet linking the Paleo Diet as being beneficial for M.S. and other autoimmune related diseases. I guess I'm surprised you're surprised.  ;D

I'm very interested in what's put forth here in terms of peer reviewed scientific study. I'm not sure, but I don't believe they've done a good full study on how a cave man way of eating could be beneficial. But that being said, I've seen enough anecdotal evidence from people posting their person struggles to believe there is something to be said for it.

From my point of view is I don't necessarily think it'll help with the damage that's already been done, but it could help with future progress of the disease. But even if it doesn't, there are enough health benefits to be adopted by this plan of eating to make a go of it.

I think a lot of the trouble with trying to study M.S. is that the disease acts differently in nearly everyone. And that it can go into remission for YEARS for no real apparent reason. The same can be said for the exacerbations. Still science has learned so much more about the disease, and there are now treatment options that were just not available 20 years ago. So it's possible that changing my diet will have NO effect, but because I may not have another episode for a number of years, I could attribute it the diet change.

I'm a pretty big realist - but that doesn't mean that I'm not willing to think outside the box and give something and honest shot.
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Online Warren Dew

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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2011, 11:45:13 AM »
I'm certainly not discouraging you or anyone from using it.  I'd just like to have a more compelling story to provide to friends with MS.

Based on more browsing on the web, it seems like the primary benefit from paleo might be the removal of triggers for autoimmune responses.
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Offline paleophil

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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #3 on: February 19, 2011, 07:33:23 PM »
Try the search terms "Cordain multiple sclerosis" here and on Google and you should find info on the MS research of Dr. Cordain and his Paleo diet research team. It's one of their top interests.
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I eat a mostly-raw "adaptivore" diet (which emphasizes animal foods but includes some plant foods) because it works for me.
Thanks to Socrates, I recognize that the only thing I know for sure is the fact of my ignorance.

Offline emmons

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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2011, 03:13:45 PM »
Just joined the forum and stumbled across this thread. My wife was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS about a year ago. She doesn't have too many symptoms but enough to know if they improved or not. We are starting a autoimmune protocol paleo diet on Monday. I will report back any changes.
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Offline kyleen66

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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2011, 05:36:46 PM »
Quote from: emmons on March 25, 2011, 03:13:45 PM
We are starting a autoimmune protocol paleo diet on Monday. I will report back any changes.

I think it's totally awesome you are doing it together! That will make it a lot easier for the two of you to stick to.

This is something very simple, that can't hurt, that could make a huge difference. I feel a lot better, have found better clarity of thought, and my fatigue is better. Please let us know how you do. :-D
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Re: Diet and multiple sclerosis
« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2011, 05:36:46 PM »
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