Multiple Sclerosis – What Foods to Avoid

While there has been a lot of discussion about the foods that you should include in your MS diet, the coverage of foods you should not eat has been lacking and can lead to confusion. If you have done any reading at all on the subject, you will have no doubt heard of Dr. Roy Swank. His MS Diet is considered by many patients to be one of the foremost authoritative works on the subject of what you can and cannot eat when you have multiple sclerosis.

Watch the Fats

Of all the multiple sclerosis foods to avoid, saturated fats have always been at the top of the list. Along with alcohol and cholesterol, saturated fats have been proven to cause the production of PgE2. This substance is known to be an inflammatory that is responsible for making MS exacerbation far worse and more frequent.

Eat no meat, especially red meats as they contain large amounts of saturated fats as well, in fact the best option to stop eating any kind of meat with the exception of fish as it is high in the Omega 3 fatty acids your body needs as an anti-inflammatory. These essential fatty acids also help with myelination and the renewal of cell membranes. Since you are not going to be eating meat, you need to stop eating or drinking dairy products as well. Cow’s milk that is fed to babies has been found to cause MS in young adults.

Out Process those Processed Foods

Most people today tend to eat a diet that is high in processed foods; these are often high in saturated fats, low quality ingredients with no nutritional value and heavily processed flour. Not only do these foods contain very little in the way of real nutrition, they often contain products that have been linked to an increased risk of developing MS.

You are also going to have to list anything with sugar in it on your list of MS foods to avoid as it too has been linked to an increased risk of MS. The list goes on to include chocolate, tobacco, fried foods and many, many more. However, if you stop and look at the list, you will find that all of these foods are not part of any healthy diet. When you look at it in this light, whether you have MS or not you need to remove the bulk of these foods from your diet anyway if you want to stay healthy.