Monday June 2, 2014 (foodconsumer.org) -- A person's diet and nutrition status may be a risk factor for multiple sclerosis and for those who have developed the disease, his diet and intake of dietary nutrients may determine his risk of death from the disease, a report suggests.

Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system that often affects adults between 20 and 4 years of age.   Etiology of the disease remains largely unknown, but evidence suggests that diet plays a role in the development and progression of the disease.

Authors of the report reviewed literature and follow the following:

Patients with multiple sclerosis ate more animal products, whole milk and sweets while eating less bread and cereal products, fish, vegetables and fruits, compared with healthy people.

Swank diet recommended for patients with  multiple sclerosis contains low amounts of saturated fat, moderate amounts of unsaturated fat (oils), little or no meat, restricted amount of dairy products and butterfat, no saturated fat containing processed foods, sources of omega-3 fatty acids like oily fish, coly liver oil, and cod liver oil tablets and other nutrition supplements.

The report suggests the Swank diet indicates that the severity of multiple sclerosis is affected by foods of animal origin, which is high in saturated fat.

Patients who well followed the diet were three times less likely to die from multiple sclerosis, compared with those who did not follow the diet as strictly.

The development and exacerbation of multiple sclerosis symptoms was associated with deficiency of omega-3, vitamin D, vitamin B12, antioxidant vitamins and folic acid in patients' diets.  (David Liu, PHD)

Reference

Postepy Hig Med Dosw (Online). 2014 Mar 27;68(0):325-33. doi: 10.5604/17322693.1095838.

The role of diet in multiple sclerosis.

Konikowska K, Regulska-Ilow B.

Zak?ad Dietetyki, Uniwersytet Medyczny im. Piastów ?l?skich we Wroc?awiu.