Hi all,
I got this today from a friend who is a chemistry PhD who specializes in lifesciences. He tells me this nutritionist is ver knowledgeable about MS and this is what she recommends. I'm investigating and thought I would check first with my best sources - all of you........ what do you know/think? Lulu
"Diet first: the literature I've read shows that there may be some liver deficiency in MS, which goes hand-in-hand with elevated inflammation and the body's inability to utilize certain essential fatty acids. I would eliminate packaged and refined foods, because white flours, refined sugars, hydrogenated fats and the rancid oils in those foods will promote inflammation and put the fatty acid balance out of whack. Fresh, whole food, including ONLY whole grains (oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice, sprouted grain breads), alot of green leafy vegetables, fresh berries, beans, raw nuts and seeds (pumpkin seeds are good), wild caught fish (salmon, cod, tuna, sardines), and antibiotic-free poultry. Generally red meat would be a no-no because of the levels of arachadonic acid (AA) which raise inflammation, but grass fed beef contains some gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), so a little is okay. All green foods are detoxifying, so they should be eaten regularly. There are also "green drinks" on the market; we use a product called "ProGreens" from Nutricology that is fabulous...
As for supplements, this is exactly what I would do: A whole foods multi vitamin mineral complex (New Chapter is the best), 4000 IU of Carlson's D3 daily through the winter months, then reduce to 2000 as long as I'm getting regular sunshine, 2 Carlson cod liver oil caps along with 2 of their regular fish oil caps (these supply vits A, D, and omega-3's), 500 mg of Evening Primrose oil (GLA source, Solgar is good), 2-3 tablespoons of lecithin granules (I use Carlson) and a tablespoon of raw wheat germ added to whole grain cereal. On days when salmon or another oily fish is eaten, the fish supplements can be skipped.
The point of all of this is to lower inflammation, and provide the essential fats and at soluble nutrients to support nerve function. Now...there is a woman I know whose father with MS took 2 New Chapter products and began to see benefits after about 3 months. One is Neurozyme (a critical extract herb formula) and the other Is Mental Clarity (a medicinal mushroom formula). These products are formulated to support neurotransmissions, not only at the level of the brain, but also seem to support those at the level of the spinal cord. My mom used them for quite a while and found that she actually regained some nerve functioning in her drop foot.
None of this is cheap, of course, even the food part (the ultimate irony as far as I'm concerned). But if the budget isn't too much of a problem, this should produce some results."