FactMS

FOOD INTOLERANCE NETWORK FACTSHEET

Multiple Sclerosis and diet

Multiple sclerosis is increasing in Australia and no-one knows why.

If your doctor tells you diet has nothing to do with MS, we strongly recommend the book Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis by George Jelinek who was diagnosed with MS while in his forties. At that time he was Professor of Emergency Medicine at Sir Charles Gairdiner Hospital in Perth. When he found that conventional medicine had little to offer, Professor Jelinek conducted his own research and found alternative therapies - especially diet and sunbathing - that helped him to regain his health and manage his condition.

Jelinek on diet

When his book was published in 2000, Professor Jelinek was way ahead of his time. His most important recommendation is to eat a low fat diet and "avoid saturated fat like the plague", especially trans fats. Since that time, trans fats - also known as trans fatty acids or hydrogenated vegetable oils, these are oils that have been synthetically hardened - have been identified as a major threat to health in developed countries. They are known to raise levels of LDL (or "bad") cholesterol and reduce levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. Since trans fats were banned in Denmark in 2003, there has been a 20 per cent fall in deaths from heart diseases. In the US, the FDA has required trans fats to be listed on all packaged foods since 2006, and New York City has announced that trans fats will be banned from use in its restaurants from July 2007. In Denmark, fast food companies like McDonalds have switched to mono-unsaturated fats like canola oil.

Jelinek on sunshine

The idea that exposure to sunshine might protect against MS has been around for many years. MS is more common in places where there's less sun, for example, in Tasmania, where the number of cases per head of population is about six times as high as in sunny Queensland. A recent study from the University of Tasmania has shown that the more sun a person was exposed to, the less likely they were to get MS. Of course you still have to worry about skin cancer due to overexposure, but it is thought that sunshine may prevent the demyelination or breakdown of the insulating sheath that covers the nerve cells, preventing proper nerve signals in people with MS.

Further reading

Taking control of multiple sclerosis by George A Jelinek, Hyland House, Melbourne, 2000 ISBN 1 8644 7086 0. For more details about Professor Jelinek's ideas, see: http://www.mja.com.au/public/bookroom/2001/gpearce/gpearce.html and www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1048944.htm.

What every consumer should know about trans fatty acids: FDA factsheet 2003 http://www.fda.gov/oc/initiatives/transfat/q_a.html

Out of the trans-fat frying pan, into the fire by Phil McKenna, New Scientist, 6/1/2007, page 13

What the science says about diet and MS

Swank RL, Dugan BB. Effect of low saturated fat diet in early and late cases of multiple sclerosis, Lancet, 1990;336(8706):37-9.

Abstract: 144 multiple sclerosis patients took a low-fat diet for 34 years. For each of three categories of neurological disability (minimum, moderate, severe) patients who adhered to the prescribed diet (less than or equal to 20 g fat/day) showed significantly less deterioration and much lower death rates than did those who consumed more fat than prescribed (greater than 20 g fat/day). The greatest benefit was seen in those with minimum disability at the start of the trial; in this group, when those who died from non-MS diseases were excluded from the analysis, 95% survived and remained physically

Does failsafe help with MS?

Several failsafers with MS tell us that the diet recommended above is not as effective as using the RPAH elimination diet with a low fat option and flaxseed oil plus vitamin supplements, see interview below.

An Interview with an MS failsafer:

How long have you had MS?

I was diagnosed with MS 13 years ago. In retrospect, I think food intolerances have been with me since childhood: I endured terrible growing pains and had my adenoids taken out at 8 years of age because I supposedly talked through my nose. After years of bowel pains and then my MS diagnosis at 15, I finally decided to eliminate dairy foods four years later and noticed a dramatic improvement in my health.

How does MS affect you?

The MS symptoms I experience day to day are mostly sensory symptoms plus fatigue. The sensory changes mostly relate to feelings of cold particularly in my legs (not cold to touch but I perceive them to feel like ice blocks). This sensation changes from being really noticeable (both my legs feel cold 8 on a scale of 1-10) to not much at all (limited to the smallest spot on one leg but hardly noticeable - 2 out of 10). Early last year I went 100% failsafe after a period of not being so strict and after 4 weeks my cold sensations had reduced dramatically to about 1- 2 out of 10.

I have discussed my experiences with my allergist and he said other people with MS he has treated have had positive changes in their symptoms when following the RPAH elimination diet. I certainly notice a difference in sensation and fatigue when being failsafe. It has taken me years to finally accept this because I, like so many, kept thinking how can a meat and potatoes type diet be good for me?

Have you ever tried the standard MS diet?

All research into MS says to eat heaps of fruit and vegies, follow a low saturated fat diet and supplement with fish oils. After years of eating a mostly vegetarian diet, popping heaps of evening primrose oil and fish oil, I can now say that being failsafe is helping me the most. In fact, I follow failsafe eating principles but make sure my diet is low in saturated fat.

Do you have any opinions on Professor Jelinek's recommendations about sunshine?

I have read Professor Jelinek's book and think there is definitely something in the research about sun, vitamin D and calming an overactive immune system. I understand that there is quite a bit of research being done into this and New Scientist had a few articles more generally on the role of sun and vitamin D on human health a few months ago. It is quite interesting that over the last 13 years since my MS diagnosis every relapse I have had occurred in winter or very soon after! I certainly feel more energised in summer and even a few rays streaming through our lounge window see me on the floor soaking up the sunshine in winter.

Any hints for others?

I have noticed that taking bicarb soda in water makes quite a difference to food intolerance symptoms, particularly with facial flushing and itchy skin which is one of my more obvious reactions to salicylates, amines and MSG.

How or why failsafe works is a mystery to me but I am happy to benefit from the impact it is making on my day to day health.

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The information given is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor for underlying illness. Before beginning dietary investigation, consult a dietician with an interest in food intolerance. You can find a supportive dietitian through the Dietitians Association of Australia www.daa.asn.au or write for our list of supportive dietitians (confoodnet@ozemail.com.au)