Living with MS is difficult for most. Once you are told you have it, your whole world changes, never to be the same again. What about your job, your income, your family and what about your sanity? What will you do now, how will lead a normal life? Lots of questions, and very little answers. You may well feel depressed, angry, hurt. It’s not fair, why me you say? Almost certainly you will have heard of, or know someone, who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis if you live in NZ, particularly down the South Island.

I’ll tell you what you do – you just go and pick yourself up and like Winston Churchill said: never give in, never give in, and never give in. I’d like to show you some ways of slowing the MS progression, and I’d like to show you that there are ways for you to take control, to slow the damage and to possibly even stop the damage occurring. I can tell you that several MS patients I know are doing pretty well ok, and some of their secrets I’d like to share with you.

No pharmaceutical drug or other medical treatments to date really exist that offer prolonged remission on MS. What I believe makes a persuasive case for integrative management of MS, is the relationships between toxic, infectious, digestive, dietary and several other factors. There are time proven diets and a specialised supplementation regime for the MS patient, which we will discuss in greater deal in Part 2. I’ll also talk about digestive mal-absorption and dysbiosis, which can be corrected. Chronic viruses and other infectious load can be treated and correct exercise should maintain muscle tone and balance. There is no doubt; early intervention with integrative modalities has the potential to make MS a truly manageable disease, not a condition where one has lost all hope and feels that a wheelchair is the only likely future.

I have added some of my clinical experiences of treating MS patients, as well as having researched treatment regimes recommended by various MS experts such as Dr. Fred Klenner, Dr. George Jelinek, Dr. Alan Gaby and Dr. Roy Swank. I have learned much more from MS patients over the past several years, than from any other source. I have generally found that many patients with conditions such as MS end up doing their own research, and some really go in depth and astound me! I lever stop learning from such patients, each one teaching me something new. Thank you; you have all been a true inspiration. It is time to share some of this valuable information with the readers of Healthy Options.

Before I came to live in New Zealand in 1998 with my family to live and practice naturopathy, I hardly ever heard of MS. I was in previously practice in Brisbane for 6 years, and only very rarely heard about a condition called multiple sclerosis. This condition was a bit of a rarity I thought, until I came to New Zealand. According to the MS New Zealand website, there are approximately 4000 people diagnosed with MS. I believe that there are many more people out there in NZ with MS; it’s just that they haven’t been diagnosed as yet. Because MS manifests in a variety of ways, it is this variability that can cause difficulty and accuracy in making a diagnosis. MS involves the progressive de-myelination (breakdown of the insulation coating) of nerve fibres in the brain, spinal cord and optic nerve. De-myelinated nerve fibres display a variety of conduction (how the nerve signal is transmitted) abnormalities, ranging from poor speed to actual blocks, resulting in a variety of symptoms that depend on the location and the duration of the lesion. Initial symptoms can be so mild that they are often overlooked and forgotten, with no further symptoms surfacing for a period of up to ten years. Many times, symptoms are put down to stress, or many other reasons. It is extremely hard to diagnose MS accurately in many cases, particularly in the beginning, and then not generally until lesions are picked up by way of sophisticated imaging such as MRI. This can take many years to happen. Is it any wonder the patient, doctor and neurologist get confused? I can vouch for some female patients I have seen in my room over the years, wondering if they have MS after looking it up on the internet, or wondering of they are just ‘going out of their mind’, as one lady put it. Her GP said that she was just suffering from PMS and probably ”depression”, which turned out to be MS two years down the track. You can’t blame the doc; he is only doing his job as a gate-keeper, sifting the serious from not so serious cases through his clinic in the five minutes allotted.

Unanswered MS questions Being a curious & enquiring naturopath, I have often wondered about these facts relating to MS:

The cause of MS is unknown. Could it be a virus, an auto-immune reaction, a toxin, a genetic predisposition, or a combination?

MS generally strikes women, when they are aged between 20-40 years.

MS very rarely strikes certain racial groups e.g., Maori, Polynesians, Native Americans, and black South Africans. Why?

The occurrence of MS is highest in temperate zones (New Zealand and northern Europe). Why?

Scotland: probably the highest MS rates in the world

The occurrence of MS is highest in temperate zones (New Zealand and northern Europe). This is why I did not hear much about this condition living in sub-tropical Brisbane previously. I found an interesting research paper, from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry:” Multiple sclerosis is commoner in southern parts of New Zealand than in the north. Identical methods were used to determine the prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis in two regions: Waikato and Otago. No cases were found in Maori at the time. The prevalence rate of multiple sclerosis was 24 per 100,000 in the northern region and 69 per 100,000 in the south”. In the northern hemisphere, Orkney and Shetland were previously thought to have by far the highest prevalence of multiple sclerosis in the world: about double that found in England and Wales. However, the prevalence of MS in south east Scotland is 203 per 100 000 population, making Scotland one of the hottest MS spots on earth.

Suspected MS causes

Food Allergies According to Dr Parris Kidd, diets high in gluten and milk are generally much more common in areas with high MS prevalence and a connection between MS and food allergies has been suspected since the 1930s. In one study of 15 patients, the avoidance of allergenic foods, tobacco, or house dust led to almost complete control of symptoms. According to Dr.Gaby, cow’s milk and sulfite food additives can trigger MS exacerbations, and in occasional MS cases the degree of improvement from an allergy elimination diet can be highly impressive. Clinical trials in auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease have shown that avoidance of milk, grains, and legumes results in major symptom improvements. The same has been found with MS. White blood cells reactive with milk proteins are very common in persons with MS. A 1952 study found 31 percent of 49 MS patients improved significantly when they avoided foods to which they were found allergic, reintroduction of such foods caused their symptoms to recur. Remember, the temperate zones are where MS is predominant – and this is where the cow lives. Scots love the cow like we do, could there be a link? I think so.

Digestive malfunctions and poor bugs in the gut

Aside from food allergy, poor digestive function seems endemic in MS. According to Dr. Jonathon Wright, a majority of the patients he has seen with MS have poor digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Almost all have poor stomach function, with inadequate enzyme production. After examining 52 MS patients, it was found that 42% had fat mal-absorption, 41% demonstrated undigested meat fibers, 27% had abnormal absorption, and 12% experienced mal-absorption of vitamin B12. Dysbiosis has been implicated in MS. Dr.Perlmutter reported finding anti-candida antibodies or candida immune complexes in 7 out of 10 MS patients he evaluated. Eight of these patients also demonstrated poor levels of Lactobacillus species. Aggressive anti-Candida treatment together with re-colonisation of beneficial bacteria has been claimed to occasionally resolve MS symptoms.

I have personally not seen an MS case where the digestion was not affected, and the gut is always my priority in any MS case initially.

Root canal fillings

It has long been speculated that root canal fillings may be implicated to some extent in the development of MS. Why? Inorganic mercury in the amalgam root canal filling may be converted to an organic form of mercury that functions as a potential neurotoxin. It is interesting to note that several patients I have seen with MS have multiple root canals. One MS patient I saw some years ago had 4 root canal fillings, and also had severe facial neuralgia and sinusitis. I urged her to have the root-canal teeth pulled out, for the sake of her flagging immunity. Do you have a root canal, and suffer with a disease “of no known origin”? Then for goodness sakes get the dead thing pulled out. Actually, it’s not the root canal that causes the problem, but rather, the germs trapped inside the dead tooth. I met Dr Virender Sodhi, one of America’s foremost Ayurvedic physicians a few years ago. Dr Sodhi wrote the chapter on Ayurvedic medicine for the world renowned Textbook of Natural Medicine and was adjunct Professor of Ayurvedic medicine. This is what Virender said: “I generally refuse to treat patients with root canals if they have a wide variety of health complaints, unless they have them pulled first”. In 1996, the Journal of Periodontology devoted a whole issue to the subject of root canals relating periodontal disease to an incredible variety of systemic diseases, ranging from heart disease to low birth weight in infants of mothers with root canals. And, one of the most highly respected dental journals in the world, Quintessence International, stated in 1997: “The detrimental effect of focal infection on general health has been known for decades. Chronic dental infections may well worsen the condition of any medically compromised patient.”

Dairy products

It has long been established that early exposure to bovine proteins is a trigger for Type 1 diabetes, the insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Researchers have now made that same milk consumption connection to MS. Many experts have noted a dairy link to MS. Norway has the highest rates of milk and dairy consumption in the world. A research scientist, Dr. Embry, analysed geographical regions & MS and writes: “…In Norway MS is up to five times more common in the inland farming areas than in the relatively nearby coastal fishing areas.” Dr. John McDougall cites in the major British medical journal (Lancet), pointing out that a diet filled with dairy products has been closely linked to the development of MS. (The Lancet 1974; 2:1061)

A Texan pathologist, Dr. Lindner, involved in clinical MS experiments at Texas University College of Medicine, writes on his website: “For MS prevention, it might be prudent to limit the intake of milk and milk products.”

A worldwide study published in the journal Neuro-epidemiology revealed an association between eating dairy foods (cow’s milk, butter, and cream) and an increased prevalence of MS. (Neuro-epidemiology 1992)

Do you still want your child to have three glasses a day or their bones….will crumble? You could be potentially breeding all sorts of immune problems if you still believe that cow’s milk is actually “good for your health”.

Viruses

I found an interesting study in the Epidemiology journal. In this study, women who had glandular fever were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with MS compared with women who did not have the infectious disease. The study suggests that among women with a history of glandular fever, 6 to 8 per 1000 will go on to develop MS. In addition, the Epstein-Barr along with infection with measles or mumps after age 15 was associated with an increased risk of MS. Dr. Kidd states that viruses are obvious candidates for the infectious villains in MS because several cause demyelination in humans as well as animals. The demyelination of MS may result from direct viral damage to brain cells, or from viral infection leading to formation of antibodies, which then attack the myelin sheath. Virtually any acute or chronic stressor that weakens the immune system – a toxic attack, intensified stress, illness from a common “garden variety” virus or bacteria, a continually low-grade food allergy, malnutrition, even continual emotional stress ¬ could conceivably create a time window for one of these organisms to enter the brain and establish itself. After that, interaction with person’s immunity might set the stage for eventual progression to full-blown MS.

Several microorganisms have been associated with the disease during the last 30 years of research. Recent studies have implicated both human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) and the sexually transmitted disease bacteria chlamydia in the causation of MS. Sorry, more bad news: New Zealander’s are catching chlamydia at rates up to five times higher than people in Australia, Britain and Canada — and doctors don’t know why. This disease is a “hidden epidemic,” according to a report recently released by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research. What is even worse is that it is implicated in MS.

Chemical Toxicity: Organic Solvents

A number of studies have targeted occupational exposures, including exposures to organic solvents particularly formaldehyde. Two researchers did a sophisticated analysis that covered all studies from the period 1966-1994 and found 13 published studies on MS and toxins. Their results are uniformly consistent with organic solvent exposures increasing the risk of MS. These findings, derived using solid methodology, point to organic solvents as the major toxic contender for MS causation. Other environmental factors linked to MS include pesticides, and exposure to X-rays (diagnostic or occupational).

Aspartame

Aspartame, an artificial sugar marketed as ‘NutraSweet’, ‘Equal’, and ‘Spoonful, has also been implicated in the development of MS. When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 30 centigrade, the wood alcohol in aspartame coverts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. (Ouch, formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants.) The methanol toxicity mimics multiple sclerosis; thus people were being diagnosed with having multiple sclerosis in error, when what they really had was methanol toxicity. I have a patient who served in the Gulf war, this man is only 34 years old. He has been diagnosed with MS, but what I couldn’t get over was when he told me that about 30% of the troops in his battalion – were later diagnosed with MS or other chronic neurological disease! Was it the diet cola drink (containing aspartame, left to cook in plastic bottles in the hot Arabian desert sun) which all the American soldiers were drinking, or was it toxic gas? Perhaps we will never know. Are you still drinking…the drink I call black death? Not many people know that a silly cola company in the USA years ago ran an advertisement campaign (billboards) telling consumers to drink cola, because it was made by humans for humans. And that milk was made by cows for cows. The truth is they are probably both toxic.

Welcome back to our focus on Multiple Sclerosis. In the previous article, I wrote primarily about the suspected causes of MS. In Part 2, the focus will be primarily on what to eat, what not to eat and what to nutritional supplementation to take. As I mentioned in Part 1, I have added my clinical experiences of treating MS patients, as well as having researched the latest MS treatment regimes recommended by various experts in the field such as Drs. Klenner, Jelinek, Gaby and Dr. Roy Swank.

Generally speaking, those who have not got MS, have literally no idea what the MS patient goes through mentally, emotionally or physically. Even though I don’t have MS personally, I have had the clinical experience of witnessing first hand just how aggressive MS can be to a person emotionally and physically. One 49yr MS patient who came into our clinic for help a few months ago, was accused of “being drunk” at work, months before her diagnosis. Another said that her mother had MS, and was in a wheelchair within 3 years, she has just been diagnosed herself. Dr Krissansen, Associate Professor of the Auckland University says that when damage to the nerve fibres has already occurred, there is very little in current medicine that can be done to help. Damage is generally permanent. What I learned from reading Dr. Jelinek’s book entitled “Taking Control of MS” is that the first step you must do is to try to stop the damage from occurring.

Unfortunately, some MS patients weaken at the prospect and find it all a bit too hard -undoing habits created over a lifetime – such as changing their diet for the better, starting to exercise and meditate daily, or perhaps having regular nutritional supplements – imagine if you were not proactive in trying to stop the damage occurring to your nervous system. Some people accept the diagnosis, and truly believe that the rest of their life is a downhill slide. How wrong! Imagine just how difficult it could be, if you were one of the MS patients who may decline rapidly, you couldn’t walk properly, had rely on a wheelchair, or you couldn’t pass urine or even eat properly. Just imagine that for one moment, then try to take heed of some of the following advice – it just may help your body in delaying the onset or reducing the damage, giving you more quality of life. I do not want to build false hope in MS patients out there, and I never said we can “cure” MS. It is possible however, if correct management is begun early, that correct diet and lifestyle changes will in many cases achieve near-complete relief of symptoms, according to Dr. Parris Kidd, a research scientist who has spent many years thoroughly researching chronic complex neurological disorders such as MS, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease.

Western medicine does offer some hope in terms of preventing relapses. Some of the newer drugs such as interferon should reduce the number of relapses particularly with the very aggressive forms of MS. The problem with drug therapy always has been the side-effects, and MS patients are on the lookout for treatments which do work and have few side effects.

Now, let’s have a look at my specific MS recommendations, based on the work of several experts. You may find some of these dietary or lifestyle views extreme, but excuse me, isn’t MS an extreme disease?

1. Drop the saturated fat

Both Dr. Swank and Dr. Jelinek both insist that you cut out saturated fats from your diet. While Dr. Swank recommends a restriction, he mentions that MS patients who fare the best are those who consume between 5 – 10 gr. of saturated fats per day, and recommends at aiming for less than 20g/day. Jelinek believes that for the best results possible, the most important thing you can do in your diet, is to exclude ALL saturated fats entirely. Dr. Swank got confused with his recommendations of saturated fats, and recommended that certain oils were ok, but forgot to understand that most all oils are a blend of mono unsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fats. Likewise, Swank said to eat as much bread as you want, forgetting that a lot of commercial breads actually contain saturated fats, and then probably the cheaper saturated palm oil. Look for breads like the pitta breads, or those containing olive oil. Jelinek says that the crux of the matter is to cut out all animal fats, dairy products and the ‘hidden’ saturated fats in apparently vegetarian products like cakes, pastries, potato chips, etc. It is important to remember, that ‘foods’ like potato chips are up to 1/3 by weight of saturated fat (look at your greasy hands when you eat them) compared to say a piece of chicken breast with a little bit of the skin on it.

To arrest the progression of nerve damage, you have to make a drastic change with fats here. What does this mean to you? Well, for starters, no more ‘full-English fry-ups’ on a Sunday morning for one! If you have MS, you simply have to learn to live without saturated fats as much as possible. Be very careful of trans fatty acids, food manufacturers try to pass these off as healthy vegetable oils, but in fact they are modified and heated oils which have been made to preserve foods like biscuits, muesli bars, etc, allowing them to sit longer on supermarket shelves. Avoid them like the plague, they are bad for you in too many ways to mention. These modified fats compete with essential fatty acids like Omega 3 and 6, and affect the way your cell membranes (cell walls) function. Trans fatty acids and saturated fats makes cell walls more rigid and less pliable, preventing your cells from communicating effectively.

2. Stop these foods!

It has been said that with MS patients, it is not a matter of what you should eat, more a matter of pointing out the things that you shouldn’t.

o Meat – Avoid all red meats and pork – Particularly during your first year on the diet. This includes all processed meats (essentially anything from the “deli” section of your supermarket) like salami, sausages, canned meats, corned beef, silverside, ALL red meats (even the ‘premium’ beef mince contains fat).

o Eggs – egg whites are acceptable. Avoid yolks, an egg yolk contains up to 5 grams of saturated fats.

o Dairy products – totally avoid milk, cream, butter, all cheeses, cottage cheese, yoghurt, etc. MS nutrition experts believe that all dairy products are best avoided altogether, because the proteins in dairy products challenge the immune system, and the fats affect cell membranes.

o Commercially baked foods – biscuits, pastries, cakes, muffins, doughnuts, baked goods containing any fats (most supermarket baked goods).

o Prepared or packet mixes – It is best that you don’t rely on sauces in packets, or boxed, packaged, canned, preserved foods. Fresh really is the best, cook, bake and make ALL your own foods.

o Snack foods – muesli bars, corn or potato chips, party foods.

o Chocolate – While it is a fact the chocolate does contain appreciable levels of antioxidants, most chocolate bars are loaded with saturated fats and are best avoided. Cocoa, however, is a natural product containing only tiny traces of saturated fats, and the occasional teaspoon in a glass of rice or soy milk should be fine.

o Margarine, palm oil, coconut oil. – these are all forms of saturated fats – stay away!

o Fried or deep fried foods – Keep away from the fish and chip shop. It is important to try to keep away from any heated oils or fats as much as you can. When you cook at home, heat the olive oil as little as possible. Heating oils like sunflower or canola (toxic!) oil tends to break down the unsaturated bonds, making these oils saturated.

o Take away foods – avoid burgers, nuggets, thick shakes and fast foods in general. Eat at home!

3. Well, what can I eat then?

Please don’t feel that your diet has to be boring, just because we have excluded saturated fats, dairy products and red meats necessarily. Your diet can be most appealing, and you still have plenty of choices left.

o Fish and chicken – are acceptable in any amounts. But, watch out for the skin of the chicken, the stuff we all tend to like. Animal skins contain a high amount of saturated fat. And don’t the chicken take-away places know all about this! – they know that people essentially like three things – fat, sugar, and salt.

o Oils – sunflower, olive, safflower, sesame seed, linseed (flaxseed), peanut. Use small amounts of oil, never reuse oil when cooking. Always refrigerate oil after opening to avoid rancidity (except olive oil). Keep olive oil in a cool, dark place (but do not refrigerate). Never heat any oil to the smoking point.

o Fresh fruit – Recommended amount is two pieces of fruit daily. All fruits are permissible in any amount. Probably best to avoid avocado – high fat content. Kiwifruit and apples or pears are good choices.

o Vegetables – Recommended amount is 2 – 3 cups daily. 1 cup = 1 serving. Fresh vegetables provide your body with vitamins and minerals and contain essential fatty acids. You are encouraged to include a wide variety of vegetables in your daily diet. Eat yellow, orange, red and green vegetables daily.

o Nuts and seeds – Nuts and seeds are good sources of natural oils as well as essential fatty acids. Commercial nut butters that are not hydrogenated or that you grind yourself at home or at the health food store, also contain good sources of oil. Daily snacks of these foods help to maintain a good energy level.

o Pasta and rice – Refined pastas and rice are permissible, but whole grain pasta and brown rice are preferred.

o Alcohol. – Most MS patients tend to be sensitive to alcoholic beverages. A glass of wine occasionally is permissible, but caution! In my experience, one glass usually leads to two, and also don’t drink alcohol daily, your liver will not like this too much. Keep it to a few times per week.

o Condiments – With the exception of mayonnaise, condiments such as mustard, ketchup, relish, barbeque sauces, taco sauces, sweet & sour sauces, herbs and spices are permissible in very small amounts. Probably best to enjoy foods without these sauces, I only have Tamari (organic soy-sauce) or Tabasco sauce personally. Celtic or Himalayan sea salt, used sparingly are ok.

o Grains and cereals. – You are encouraged to use high quality whole-grain products as much as possible. Refined, un-enriched products provide very little, if any, vitamin source. The best breads are whole wheat bread, pitta and sourdough bread – check for saturated fat content. Natural grains provide bulk in the diet and aid in elimination. Although these products may contain a tiny amount of saturated fat, it has been accounted for in the body of the diet. Avoid commercially baked items such as muffins, which contain undesirable oils.

Eric’s 12-phase MS management program.

1. Establish firm diagnosis using MRI and neural function disability testing. You may not have MS!

2. Identify your toxic load through testing: mercury and other heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, cadmium, etc. Detoxification as required. Support liver function with nutrients such as glutathione, antioxidants, special detoxification nutrients. (Seek expert help here!)

3. Get onto the right diet, avoid saturated fats, eat the right fats. (Start on this right away). Implement a no sugar, no fat anti-inflammatory diet. Don’t muck around here, just do it!

4. Get checked for food allergies. I would recommend an IgE and IgG food allergy blood test.

5. Assess digestive enzyme production, you may well need digestive enzyme support. Get this assessed by your naturopath. Many MS patients require upper or lower digestive support. See you naturopath again.

6. Dietary supplements, See above. Apart from your diet, take the right oils and supplements daily. Have a Hair Analysis to check out if you have deficiencies or toxicities. Again, seek professional help.

7. Get checked for viruses, and a candidia and parasites overgrowth. Treat aggressively as required, re-colonise your digestive system with the right bacteria.

8. Get started with the right rehabilitation and exercise program. To rest is to rust, use it or…lose it! I have found that aqua-aerobics suits many MS patients. Find the right mobility program for you and stick with it. Tai Chi seems to be another great one, it helps you to maintain your balance.

9. Stay focused and maintain a positive attitude You can get on top of things, in spite of things getting on top of you! You can improve your health no matter what condition you are in. In my experience, MS patients who stick with a similar MS management program to this one, are the ones who notice the best results long term.

10. Meditation for 30 minutes daily can make the world of difference. Dr. Ian Gawler believes that meditation is THE most important part of your MS healing package.

11. Allow at least 6 months for your condition to become more stabilised. Get re-assessed regularly for lesion stabilisation or lesion progression as well as your measures of disability. This will give you some understanding of which way you are progressing, or declining. If you are stable, stay on this program. If not, then consider hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Clinics are available in NZ that specialise in this.

12. Pharmaceutical options Only if the disease progression is evident and if you find that HBOT therapy fails to halt progression, consider drugs, but continue with the options as listed above, according to Dr Kidd.

References:

Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis: Natural and Medical Therapies to Prevent Its Progression (Paperback) by Dr. George Jelinek. Fleetfoot Books (March 2005)

The Multiple Sclerosis Diet Book: A Low-fat Diet for the Treatment of MS. by Dr. Roy Laver Swank, Barbara Brewer Dugan. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group (April 1987)

Coping with Multiple Sclerosis by Richard Reynolds and Cynthia Benz. Publisher: Vermilion (May 2005)

Multiple Sclerosis, An Autoimmune Inflammatory Disease: Prospects for its Integrative Management, By Dr. Parris Kidd PhD. Alternative Medicine Review 2001; 6 (6): pages 540 – 566.

Dr Klenner’s MS protocol: From the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients May 2003