Multiple Sclerosis Diet

A diet designed for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may help control and possibly eliminate many of the symptoms that come along with the disease. It is also believed that these diet guidelines may slow the progression of the disease.  There are some basic guidelines for dietary changes for the MS patient, but always the patient should make these diet changes under the supervision of the health care professional.  

A key factor in a healthy multiple sclerosis diet is to eliminate all gluten. In general, you should avoid eating anything with flour, but you can check package ingredients if you are unsure of their content. Many diets besides the MS diet do not allow gluten, so this is now easily found on many packages. Avoiding wheat, barley, oats, or rye is recommended to minimize the use of gluten containing products.  A successful diet should also limit or avoid animal fats, including dairy products and margarine. Olive oil, sunflower oil, and safflower oil are suitable alternatives for cooking or salads. Fried foods and foods high in saturated fats are also to be avoided. White meat skinless chicken, seafood, and fish are the best meat choices. Make sure to always completely remove any fat. Anyone, but especially those on a MS diet, should try to completely eliminate refined sugar. There are many healthier alternatives. Honey, fructose, or natural unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices would be ideal for a person on this diet.

Obviously, any foods you are allergic to should be cut from your diet. If you are unsure of allergies, try consulting a doctor or allergy specialist. You may also try eliminating all of the most common problem foods from your diet, and after two weeks bring them back one at a time. If you have a bad reaction to any food, then you should probably eliminate it from your multiple sclerosis diet.

You should increase the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits in your MS diet. Try to always eat freshly cooked food.  This will increase the amount of vitamins and minerals that  your body absorbs. Vitamin supplements may also be beneficial or even necessary for your Multiple Sclerosis, but you should consult a doctor to make sure you take the right vitamins.

Always drink lots of water. It is very easy for a person with Multiple Sclerosis to become dehydrated, so make sure to drink at least 8 large glasses of water every day. These tips for improving your MS diet are intended to help you control many common problems such as fatigue, incontinence, and constipation. Adjusting your diet may also help to avoid making other problems worse. Many of these tips are included in other diets, and even people without special dietary needs may benefit from following these suggestions.