Almost one million in the United States have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Research suggests that certain foods play a crucial role in supporting symptom management, but finding the best diet for MS can be a daunting task. We’ll discuss the must-have foods you need to eat in order to thrive despite this condition.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronically debilitating illness where the body’s central nervous system (CNS) creates abnormal responses. This results in attacks to the myelin, a protective coating around nerve endings. These attacks create irreparable damage to the myelin, leaving nerves exposed and compromising their ability to communicate with the brain.
As a result, individuals living with multiple sclerosis can experience a variety of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. The National MS Society reports that there are nearly one million people living with MS in the United States alone. In this article, we will briefly cover the diagnosis and treatment options for multiple sclerosis and discuss five food groups that individuals with MS should incorporate into their daily diet.
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Uncovering The Best Diet for MS: 5 Foods You Need To Eat is an original (HealthXWire) article.
Best diet for MS:
MS symptoms
As MS affects the protective coating of nerve endings, the symptoms associated with MS as well as their severity can vary from person to person. Symptoms include issues with muscle strength or control, vision problems, memory decline, cognitive difficulties in thinking or comprehension, mood disturbances, and many more.
Symptom progression, much like other aspects of MS, is also unpredictable as some individuals develop symptoms that rapidly progress over the course of days or weeks, while others may have more slowly progressing symptoms over a span of years. Likewise, symptoms may regress, with some individuals showing periods of symptom remission for days, weeks, or even months. The progression of symptoms and remission period classify the category of MS that is diagnosed. However, diagnosis can be challenging due to the uncertain presence of associated symptoms.
Best diet for MS:
Diagnosis
For individuals living with multiple sclerosis, receiving an accurate diagnosis can be a difficult process. Currently, there are no specific tests or exams that can be performed to pinpoint multiple sclerosis specifically as a diagnosis. Typically, when MS is a suspected cause of symptoms, diagnosis occurs after a series of tests have eliminated other medical conditions as a cause. Additionally, there is no cure for MS; however, positive results in overall well-being have been demonstrated using treatment options and lifestyle choices to help to manage MS symptoms.
Best diet for MS:
Treatment
Currently, the medical treatment program for individuals living with MS involves helping them maintain a healthy immune system and treating the individual symptoms or group of symptoms in an attempt to abate the discomfort or disruption they cause. Some such medications help improve the likelihood and length of potential remission episodes.
Medications used to help combat MS progression include oral medications, injected medications, infusions, and intervention processes, such as stem cell therapy. Additionally, individuals with MS are encouraged to follow a diet filled with foods that have been demonstrated to be beneficial in helping manage MS symptoms.
Uncovering The Best Diet for MS: 5 Foods You Need To Eat is the (HealthXWire) report.
Best diet for MS:
Influential factors
While there’s no specific cause or link that has yet been identified for MS, there several factors that impact an individual’s risk for developing symptoms. Factors such as smoking, certain infections or viruses, and obesity have been linked to contributing to the onset of symptoms.
Though nutritional factors alone cannot cause MS, there is a significant link between the type of foods consumed and the experience of MS attacks and remission in individuals. One study specifically examined the impact of diet on progression and found that when individuals with MS ate a healthy diet and engaged in exercise, there was an associated anti-inflammatory response within the body that aided the individual in managing the illness.
Best diet for MS:
5 foods for MS patients
A well-balanced diet is something often prescribed for everyone, but it is exceptionally true for MS patients. Though it seems a bit too simple to be true, a healthy and balanced diet is the best approach to using nutrition to combat MS symptoms. Individuals living with MS should be sure to include the following in their daily diet:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Lean proteins
- Healthy grains
- Nuts
- Water
Consuming sugary foods, processed foods, or those high in complex carbohydrates can create secondary health issues that exacerbate MS symptoms further. A diet with foods rich in omega fatty acids, and vitamins A, B, and D has been demonstrated to show significant improvement in MS symptom management.
Best diet for MS:
Nuzest Good Green Vitality
Nuzest’s Good Green Vitality, described as ‘supplemental support at its best,’ is formulated with superior ingredients such as adaptogens, vitamins, and minerals to help provide support to the body’s systems. After receiving an MS diagnosis for his daughter, Monique, founder Trevor Bolland noticed a correlation between his daughter’s health and the food she was consuming.
He explained that as they traversed the globe for any hope of a cure or assistance, he and his family learned that “nutrition was particularly important, that nutrition and lifestyle were the key to [her] wellness.” Trevor and his family began the search for the right combination of nutrients that would help Monique manage her MS symptoms. Containing B6, B12, vitamin K, and vitamin D, Good Green Vitality offers nutritional support combined with omega fatty acids from flax seed, and adaptogens to help improve cognitive and physical functions often inhibited by MS.
Best diet for MS:
Final thoughts
Multiple sclerosis is a lifelong condition that presents a host of challenges and obstacles for those living with the illness. Medications and medical treatments can aid in treatment and diminish symptoms, but there is no cure for the disease. Symptom management can help to slow the progression of the disease and the discomfort experienced. A healthy lifestyle with exercise and a balanced diet can support medical treatments to manage MS symptoms and disease progression.
Further reading:
Johns Hopkins Medicine. 5 Tips for Living Better with MS: Patients and Caregivers
Mayo Clinic. Multiple Sclerosis.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Multiple Sclerosis.
National MS Society. MS Prevalence.
Stoiloudis P, Kesidou E, Bakirtzis C, Sintila SA, Konstantinidou N, Boziki M, Grigoriadis N. The Role of Diet and Interventions on Multiple Sclerosis: A Review.
U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence
Important Note: The information contained in this article (Uncovering The Best Diet for MS: 5 Foods You Need To Eat) is for general informational purposes only, and should not be construed as health or medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or health condition. Before embarking on any diet, fitness regimen, or program of nutritional supplementation, it is advisable to consult your healthcare professional in order to determine its safety and probable efficacy in terms of your individual state of health.
Regarding Nutritional Supplements Or Other Non-Prescription Health Products: If any nutritional supplements or other non-prescription health products are mentioned in the foregoing article, any claims or statements made about them have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and such nutritional supplements or other health products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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