MS

[DavidT]

I'm looking to be educated about MS from a vegan's point of view. I searched the forum but there doesn't seem to be much discussion about it (a search for 'MS' brings up a lot of mentions of Ms Derious!) apart from a post by one sufferer, basbegin.

My sister-in-law was diagnosed with the condition some years ago and recently decided to go vegan. Of course, she gets lots of advice and encouragement from my OH and I about products and recipes and I like to think we set some kind of example.

Now, I realise a vegan diet can be tremendously healthy and all the rest. How will it help an MS sufferer specifically, though? And is there anything specific that she should be looking at?

In another thread it mentions vitamin D as being important; apart from that, anyone brave enough to discuss it?

[mjnewbould]

Well I don't know about this specific point; I'm not a neurologist, but I can tell you what i think on common sense grounds MS is of course a neurological disease and of course any poor diet can lead to neurological problems, so I think it is important to make sure its a very healthy vegan diet and avoid getting those (so that there is only one problem with the nervous system rather than a multiplicity of problems). Out of interest, at one point, a gluten free diet was in vogue for MS - but I'm have not heard of this for a while. In general I would say that a vegan diet is extremely nutricious and on this basis it is unlikely to prove detrimental in most forms of chronic illness. I can't really think how it might specifically help - but I wouldn't be prepared to make any predictions - as a medical professional I just realise everyday how I don't know much about anything.

[DavidT]

Thanks for that.

[Sluggie]

I have heard that a vegan diet is recommended for MS sufferers. I just did a quick search on Google - "multiple sclerosis vegan" - and came up with this amongst others:

http://myhealthmydiet.com/articles/s...cks-vegan-diet

I hope your sister-in-law finds her new diet beneficial. She's lucky to have you for support.

[DavidT]

I have heard that a vegan diet is recommended for MS sufferers. I just did a quick search on Google - "multiple sclerosis vegan" - and came up with this amongst others:

http://myhealthmydiet.com/articles/s...cks-vegan-diet

I hope your sister-in-law finds her new diet beneficial. She's lucky to have you for support.

Very good link, thanks. It ties in with general thoughts about health in relation to diet. We are what we eat. (I must be a tin of baked beans, then!). It fits in with other anecdotal evidence of avoiding dairy produce lowers cancer rates, too.

I'll be in contact with her soon to get an update on how she's getting on with her vegan diet. Apparently both her and her husband (fair play to him for going vegan too) have lost weight. This will be great for him as he was always a tub.

Keep 'em coming.

[mjnewbould]

But obviously one should not lose weight on a vegan diet simply because its vegan- unless nutrician was absolutely awful previously and in excess of one's needs (and maybe that is the case for her husband; really providing the previous diet was reasonably well balanced weight should be around the same. To lose more than a pound or two might imply that the diet is not quite all it should be. Though its hard not to be well-nourished as a vegan, some people do manage it! Just a thought.

[DavidT]

Oh, her husband needed to lose more than a pound or two!

I maintain a comfortable weight on a vegan diet and I never worry if I overeat occasionally. If I ate the equivalent volume of food in meat and dairy-based diet, I'd be big.