While doctors and researchers have proposed dietary changes as an effective method for treating multiple sclerosis (MS), there is no evidence that these changes are really effective. Some diets, especially those too high in certain vitamins, can actually prove harmful to the MS patient.
Sadly, one of the most common side effects of MS is weight gain due to a lack of mobility. Despite the findings regarding diet in general, there are a few dietary changes MS sufferers can make to help maintain optimal health at all times.
Portion Control
In order to maintain the best level of health at all times, it is important for you to keep a close eye on portion control. Everything sold in stores today, even in fast food restaurants, is sold in incredibly large portions. If you are able to control what you eat, you will have an easier time trimming calories from your diet in order to maintain a healthy weight, especially if you are less active due to your condition.
Read the labels on the packages before you make your meals. For example, you may find that heating up a can of condensed soup makes enough to satisfy your appetite. If you read the can, however, you'll find that the entire can is designed to make 2 1/2 full servings. Multiply the calorie count on the can by 2.5 and you'll quickly see how many calories you really did eat.
Purchase single-sized servings of everything you eat. Don't "super-size" any of your meals or beverages. In stores, purchase single servings of cheese, yogurt and even lunch kits. You can find lots of foods packaged in single servings, making it easier for you to grab your food on the run without having to stop and measure.
You should, of course, measure the servings of the foods you eat. Make sure you're eating 1/2 cup of cooked vegetables (or 1 cup raw) as a single serving. The size of a bar of soap represents the size of a 3-oz. cut of meat. Have a craving for ice cream? A scoop the size of a tennis ball is one serving (not the entire bowl).
Carbohydrates
While you may be tempted to pick up a low-carbohydrate diet to help manage the symptoms of MS, stop and think again. We know that carbohydrates increase insulin and can, in turn, lead to weight gain. We know that cutting carbohydrates from the diet causes the body to use its internal stores for energy, which will cause you to lose weight. We also know that after your body uses up those internal stores of glycogen, you will begin to lose fat. When the body begins burning fat you will produce byproducts known as ketones which will curb your appetite and cause you to eat a bit less.
While these are all positive aspects of a low-carbohydrate diet, there are a few special considerations if you have multiple sclerosis. Ketones, for example, may curb your appetite but they will also make you tired. Most people with MS are already battling fatigue, so a low-carbohydrate diet will only make this symptom worse. Additional fatigue will thus add to your decreased mobility and may lead to additional weight gain.
Patients with multiple sclerosis often take steroids to control their symptoms. However, decreased mobility and the use of steroids can lead to osteoporosis. Low-carbohydrate diets tend to be high in protein and low in calcium, sometimes even contributing to excess calcium loss.
Low-carbohydrate diets also tend to be low in fiber. Multiple sclerosis patients tend to have problems with chronic constipation. As such, you'll need to incorporate plenty of foods rich in fiber as well as fluids in your diet. Low-carbohydrate diets limit the fruits and vegetables you can eat, greatly reducing the fiber sources you have available.
As an MS sufferer, you need to think about your long-term diet and weight maintenance goals. Low-carbohydrate diets tend to restrict the number and type of healthy foods you can eat. It may be more beneficial to your overall health to watch portion control and count calories than it would be to cut out a specific food group altogether.
Omega-3
We all know that some fats, such as saturated and trans fats, are bad for our bodies but that "good" fats, like polyunsaturated fats containing omega-3 fatty acids, are actually good for the body. Doctors with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, as published on the association website, have been researching the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids on MS patients and have found that they may help control MS when it comes to relapse and remittance.
The study followed 312 MS patients. One group took 10 g of fish oil per day while the other group took a placebo. The group that took the fish oil daily had less progression as far as muscular disability was concerned. Those who did not take the pill had slightly more progression.
Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in salmon, mackerel and other fatty fishes. They can also be found in flaxseed oil, walnuts and in pill or supplement form.
Do not add an omega-3 supplement to your diet without first consulting your physician. Omega-3 supplements may have an impact on the effectiveness of the other drugs you take to control your MS symptoms, anticoagulant medications and anything you take to control diabetes. Your doctor will help you to determine if a fish oil supplement is a safe addition to your MS diet.
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