Click here to receive MS news via e-mail
Written by Caroline Craven
Several clinical trials are beginning that will look at the effects healthy eating has on multiple sclerosis symptoms.
Can diet help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage their disease and their symptoms?
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society thinks so.
In fact, it is funding two new studies that look at the effects of diet on MS.
One study, out of the University of Iowa, looks specifically at the effects of diet on MS-related fatigue.
A second, out of Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, is a pilot study looking at the feasibility of studying the effects of diet on people with MS.
Studies requested
Bruce Bebo, executive vice president of research at the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, told Healthline that the task force was a result of both patient and donor requests for research on more than just pharmaceuticals and mice.
The task force brought together experts to chart out a course to follow in lifestyle and wellness.
“We began to better understand where the knowledge is, and where gaps are, and how we can make the best investments for the patients and the society,” he said.
Bebo explained how studies on diet are not easy. It is difficult to “blind” the participants to the treatments when they are planning and preparing the food.
Considered a modifiable risk factor, diet for the most part can be controlled by people with MS or their caregivers.
How diet can help
An increasing number of studies are looking at diet and MS.
A study published in Neurology found that in addition to weight control, people with MS may find both neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory benefits from certain calorie-controlled diets.
Another report looked at 175,000 women and found that ingesting polyunsaturated fats may modify risk factors for MS.
Diet also has the potential to improve cognitive function in people with MS. A paleo diet was recently found to help with mood, depression, anxiety, and cognitive function, more than exercise and stress management.
MS Views and News is MAKING an IMPACT for those, affected by Multiple Sclerosis
MS Views and News provides beneficial Multiple Sclerosis education, information, resources and services.
Join us, opt-in here: www.register.msviewsandnews.org
…………………………
Visit our MS Learning Channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/msviewsandnews