By R. Morgan GriffinWebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
Many foods have been touted as helpful for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Do they work?
“There are strong reasons to think that diet could affect MS symptoms and even help treat it,” says neurologist Ellen Mowry, MD, of Johns Hopkins University.
But although a healthy diet is always a good idea, there is no proof that any diet or food, on its own, treats MS.
If you want to try changing your diet to see if it helps your MS, do your homework. Make sure you’ve got good information from a reliable source, that you’ll get all the nutrients you need, and talk with your doctor before making major changes
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What Does the Research Show?
You may have heard about certain nutrients or diets for MS. One thing to keep in mind is that there hasn’t been a lot of research done in this area, and there aren’t solid results showing benefits.
For instance:
Oil change. Some early studies showed promise in a diet low in saturated fat and supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. But 2012 review of research did not find any benefit for omega-3s and omega-6s. So for now, the findings are mixed.
Vitamin D. Low levels of vitamin D are linked with more severe MS symptoms. The body makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, and MS is more common in parts of the world that get less direct sun.
Does that mean that taking vitamin D supplements will help? That’s not certain. “I think the evidence that vitamin D supplements could help is pretty strong, but we don’t know for sure,” says Mowry, who is leading two studies of vitamin D and MS. Before trying vitamin D supplements, ask your doctor to test your vitamin D blood level and ask their advice on how much you should take.
Diets that people have promoted for MS include:
- Gluten-free diet. Cutting out gluten is popular. But there’s no evidence it helps people with MS, says Allen C. Bowling, MD, PhD, medical director of the Multiple Sclerosis Service at the Colorado Neurological Institute and author ofComplementary and Alternative Medicine and Multiple Sclerosis.
- Swank diet. This diet, developed over 60 years ago, has very low levels of saturated fats. Though some studies have shown promise, none has shown a convincing benefit, Bowling says. “I don’t think the Swank diet is harmful, but it’s hard to stick to,” he says.
- Wahls diet. This diet emphasizes fruits and vegetables — 9 cups a day – but no studies have shown a clear result. Bowling believes its emphasis on certain nutrients leads some followers to “use high doses of many supplements.” He cautions that the safety of such high doses has not been proven. Discuss any supplements you’re taking with your doctor, even if the products are natural.
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