why don't the leading neurologist and Ms Specialists talk more about the connection between diet and managing multiple sclerosis in this video I'm going to break down the most effective dietary strategies for supporting Ms from the perspective of a gut microbiome expert and a surgeon over the past decade I've worked closely with patients battling multiple sclerosis and the insights that I'm about to share with you have proven to be transformative in reducing symptoms and promoting long-term Wellness stay with me because this information could change how you think about your Ms care hi I'm Dr Chan oser a surgeon dedicated to unraveling the root cause of chronic inflammation through the lens of gut health my Approach which is called the Mind gut immunity method has evolved over 12 years of treating autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis our holistic approach has empowered countless patients to regain control over their symptoms without depending on their medication this also means no new lesions on MRI and no neurologic symptom you might find this surprising but when we address Ms through gut microbiome balance the results speak for themselves if you're curious about how this works and want to learn more from real patient stories make sure to check out the link below or visit mgic clinic.com to schedule a discovery call with me I'll give you some actionable steps on how to get started on your own Journey plus you'll find additional content as well as success stories that can provide you valuable insights into your unique situation all right let's dive in here's  a 2017 study that analyzed the influence of diet and multiple sclerosis and recommends the consumption of prebiotics in anti-inflammatory foods here's a 2021 study that evaluates the role of diet and lifestyle and multiple sclerosis and its efficacy in managing the disease this 2022 study breaks down the relationship between Diet gut microbiome and the importance of considering these factors in the therapeutic management of patients with MS in this video we're going to dive  into the ideal diet for managing multiple sclerosis whether you're navigating the daily challenges of Ms or seeking ways to reduce flare-ups discovering the right foods can be overwhelming especially if you're trying to avoid a lifetime of medications neurologist visits and MRIs over the years I've worked with numerous patients who have significantly reduced their MS symptoms and improved their Quality of Life by focusing on nutrition and gut health this also means that they have no new lesions on MRI in either the brain or the spinal cord but why does this approach work many Specialists will tell you that Ms is an unchangeable condition actually gets worse and they'll just offer you medications as the primary solution however both my clinical experience and the latest research it's clear that the conventional advice falls short in this video I'll break down the optimal diet for Ms common pitfalls to avoid and how to control your health Journey all right  the first key point is the importance of phytonutrients numerous studies emphasize the role of phytonutrients in managing multiple sclerosis here's a 2023 study on polyphenol and their antioxidant anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in managing multiple sclerosis this 2024 study explores the effect of natural compounds on immune regulation oxidative stress suppression and the protection and regeneration of myelin in multiple sclerosis here's one from 2022 discussing the contribution of natural compounds with well-known antioxidant potential in Ms progression and modulation you've probably heard how important phytonutrients are for managing inflam especially in autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis there's a ton of research backing this up but I'll save you the Deep dive and get straight to what matters phytonutrients are naturally occurring compounds found in plants like fruits veggies herbs and spices and fungi you might know them better as antioxidants flavonoids or superfoods these compounds have been known to have a huge impact on reducing inflammation which is key when dealing with Ms the better your diet is packed with these elements the better your body will fight those flareups now  these pH nutrients are grouped into categories like tpin polyphenols chlorophyll and prebiotics each plays a unique role in helping your body maintain the balance a lot of people with Ms don't get nearly enough of these which can throw off the balance between your gut immune system and brain and that's where the problems start the goal  here is to make sure you're maximizing the diversity and the amount of these phytonutrients in your diet by doing that you're giving your body the tools it needs to keep inflammation in check now if your body is low in phytonutrients it's going to going to be tough to manage Ms effectively but with the right foods you can naturally support your body's ability to stay healthy and minimize symptoms I'm a big advocate for getting as many phytonutrients as possible with each meal think of each meal as a chance that you can strengthen your mind heal your gut and support your immune system miss out on that and you're leaving your health to Chance the key takeaway is that phytonutrients are your allies in managing Ms if your diet lacks these it's no surprise you're dealing with persistent symptoms but with a nutrient-rich diet you can give your body a much better shot at controlling your inflammation and staying on top of your condition the second point is  nutritional needs and macronutrient counting over the last few years intermittent fasting has been a popular Trend with many touting its anti-inflammatory benefits but I'm here to tell you and especially when it comes to conditions like multiple sclerosis intermittent fasting isn't the Miracle Solution it's always made out to be in fact it can actually do more harm than good a recent 2024 study even found that intermittent fasting increases the risk of cardiac death by 91% % and that's a pretty steep price to pay for just skipping meals despite these risks many people including those with Ms still believe that fasting is the answer and yes in the short term it might feel like it's working because you're not feeding the bad bacteria in your gut that contribute to inflammation But as time goes on issues start to crop up you can have unwanted weight loss and muscle wasting thyroid problems elevated stress hormones like cortisol trouble sleeping nutritional deficiencies that slow down the recovery of of nerves and worsen inflammation in Ms digestive problems like bloating nausea and reduce appetite you can have persistent fatigue that just doesn't seem to go away when these problems develop eating becomes even more challenging you might feel very bloated gassy lethargic and low on energy after meals these symptoms can deter you from eating adequately in the future creating a vicious cycle that's difficult to break especially if you're underweight being underweight with a  body mass index of 18 or lower can be particularly problematic you can easily calculate your BMI using a BMI calculator on my website by entering your height and your weight if your BMI is below 18 and you have multiple sclerosis you're at serious risk I've treated patients with BMI low as 13 which is quite severe and when your body has a low BMI and multiple sclerosis it means your body is in a catabolic State breaking down protein rather than building it up which can lead to more severe symptoms and slower recovery thankfully most of the MS patients that I work with are either normal weight or above weight so this doesn't seem to be a very common problem the key to managing your gut health and reducing Ms flare ups isn't about cutting out food it's about eating in a way that supports your body's healing process too many people give up on finding the right foods for their condition and end up skipping meals but that only makes things worse when it comes to figuring  out the best macronutrient balance for managing Ms you'll want to focus on fats carbs and proteins if reducing inflammation is your goal I recommend aiming for about 50% of your daily calories coming from healthy fats with the remaining 50% split evenly between carbs and proteins this ratio isn't something you'll find in the textbook it's based on years of experience working with people who've had real improvements by following this approach if your goal is weight loss you might need to tweak those ratios by lowering your carbs and fats while boosting your protein intake on the other hand if you're looking to gain weight increasing your overall calorie intake and adjusting the balance between carbs and fats is key tracking your macronutrients can take some time to get used to but it's well worth the effort by dialing your nutrition you'll not only improve your energy levels but also give your body what it needs to better manage MS symptoms in the long run by the way you  can also go on my website and check to see what your macronutrient requirements are just enter in your height and weight and you'll be able to see what your daily requirements are this is a great place to start because you can plan your diet accordingly the balance of macronutrients fats carbs and proteins plays a critical role in your gut microbiome which directly impacts how well you manage multiple sclerosis the microbes in your gut both bacteria and fungi thrive on sugars starches and fibers and all of which are carbohydrates so here's the thing you have simple sugars like glucose and fructose which feed the growth of harmful bacteria and fungi these two things together create inflammation and worsening MS symptoms processed starches like those found in refined flowers also do the same but on the other hand complex or resistant starches promote beneficial bacteria growth while fiber selectively encourages good bacteria to flourish I get it this might sound a little complicated and you might be wondering why not just eliminate carbs all together well there is a diet that  does that it's called the carnivore diet and that's where it comes into play this diet consists entirely of meat eliminating all fiber and including some electrolytes the carnivore diet for Ms does have some Merit it involves a lot of animal Meats red meats white Meats organ meats and one of the leading authors in this Terry walls is a huge fan of organ Meats fish and seafood you have animal fats eggs this diet cuts out all carbs including fiber lactose starches and sugars but unlike keto or low carb diets that might still include problematic carbs a strict carnivore approach eliminates them entirely so when you follow the carnivore diet strictly you'll remove all sources of dairy and fiber due to the lack of sugar carbs and fiber to feed on this approach can be particularly effective during Ms flare-ups when inflammation is at its peak but here's the catch while the carnivore diet can be useful for short-term relief it's not necessarily sustainable for everyone in the long run the original paleo diet which eventually evolved into the carnivore diet was more plant focused with occasional meat aligning better with the phyton nutrient-rich diet that I typically recommend it also goes against the data presented in the MS Swank data set that shows that a plant-based diet is helpful for reducing inflammation seen in Ms while going carnivore might help reduce inflammation during a flare it might not be be the best long-term strategy for maintaining a healthy gut microbiome and I've covered this topic more in detail in another video so be sure to check that one out Beyond carnivore there are  other diets for Ms that focus on cutting out specific carbohydrates to help manage inflammation one option some people explore is the specific carbohydrate diet or SCD the SCD aims to reduce inflammation by eliminating types of carbohydrates that are difficult to digest and often ferment in the gut leading to bacter overgrowth some of the allowable Foods include Meat and Fish you also have certain fermented dairy products vegetable fruits nuts and oils but the excluded foods are grains and starches such as wheat rice corn oats and all products made from grains sugars and sweeteners that includes refined sugars high fructose corn syrup artificial sweeteners and processed foods you also have to eliminate certain legumes like beans that are high in specific types of carbohydrates and the idea here is that the SCD eliminates complex carbs like disaccharides and polysaccharides which can contribute to bacterial overgrowth and flare ups I've also put together another video comparing the SCD with a phytonutrient rich diet that I suggest for managing Ms in my experience it's far more effective to tackle gut microbiome issues with targeted probiotics supported by a wide range of phytonutrients the SCD diet lacks precision and often doesn't deliver consistently on results and this brings me to the walls protocol  specifically designed for Ms by Dr Terry walls after being diag osed with Ms she found that changing her diet helped manage her symptoms it also emphasizes the meat and the fish the veggies the bright colored fruits omega-3 fatty acids but it avoids dairy products and eggs grains and legumes nightshade vegetables and sugar while walls credits this diet for a significant Improvement research is still limited and in my experience a phytonutrient diet is actually still Superior to her protocol there was only one small study that showed a reduced fatigue in Ms patients following the walls protocol but it also showed that exercise and other therapies also work so it's impossible to know what the diet did in general nonetheless it is an option worth exploring if you have MS now the diet with most of the  data is actually the Swank diet developed in the 1950s by Dr Roy Swank this diet focuses on reducing fat intake particularly saturated fat which he beli contribute to MS symptoms the recommendation is to limit saturated fat to 15 g a day and the unsaturated fat to at least 20 G per day and you're you're going to get these from sources like olive oil and fatty fish you still have the fruits and vegetables lean fish and non-dairy fats and whole grains you'll be avoiding the red meat and the high-fat Dairy items and it's been shown that if you follow the Swank diet you'll have slower disease progression it actually shows that in 96% of cases Ms doesn't get any worse but unfortunately the evidence after that study has been quite limited plus the diet can be exceptionally restrictive making it difficult to maintain over the long run  another another diet that comes up for managing gut related conditions like Ms is a low FODMAP diet this diet is specifically designed to limit certain fermentable carbohydrates that can trigger gut discomfort and inflammation and let me break that down for you you have allowed foods which are low FODMAP foods such as proteins certain vegetables and certain fruits grains and cereals and dairy Alternatives you also have some seeds and nuts in there and oils and fats but the high fod matat fubs the ones to avoid include fruits such as apples pears mangoes and cherries and you have vegetables like garlic onions cauliflower and mushrooms you also have legumes and pulses like beans lentils and chickpeas and then dairy products that have a lot of lactose in them like soft cheeses and milk grains such as wheat barley and Rye are also fermentable and you have sweeteners like honey and high fructose corn syrup the rationale here is fod maps are short chain carbohydrates and sugar alcohols that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine leading to fermentation and gut issues FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides found in foods like wheat onions and garlic so you have disaccharides which you can see in lactose containing products like milk and yogurt you have monosaccharides which you can see in fructose rich foods like apple and honey and you have polyols which are sugar alcohols in certain fruits such as cherries and plums there is an elimination phase of the diet where you have to get rid of all these high fod matat foods and then there's a reintroduction phase where you can reintroduce some of these Foods based on the triggers and tolerance levels so at this point you might be wondering with  so many diets that restrict carbs and fiber which one actually works for inflammation in the gut microbiome the issue with many of these diets is that they don't directly address the root cause which is gut microbiome dysfunction at the core you have bacteria that process carbs leading to overgrowth in the production of harmful byproducts and this is common in conditions such as sibo and candida which result in elevated histamine levels inflammatory cytoid and symptoms like fatigue bloating brain fog and lethargy symptoms I've discussed before in other videos the diets I've mentioned so far address the carbohydrates sugars and fiber components but they don't tackle the root cause longterm which is gut microbiome Health essentially these diets are just temporary fixes that delay the real issue and that brings me  to my third point the ideal multiple sclerosis diet should be microbiome specific simply avoiding carbs doesn't get to the heart of the issue which is gut microbiome dysfunction the only way to effectively manage this is with targeted phytonutrients and specialized probiotic formulations therefore creating the perfect phyto diet requires a strategic approach and a deep understanding of how the gut works this is where the Mind gut immunity approach comes into play we start by recalibrating the gut microbiome with Precision probiotics and these aren't your typical probiotics that you find in stores they're clinically backed and designed specifically for gut related issues you don't need High cfu counts multiple strains or Refrigeration all you need are four precise strains that establish a protective biofil in the gut helping you keep bad bacteria in check to Main maintain these healthy colonies phytonutrients are key and they're mostly found in plant-based Foods certain proteins can trigger immune  responses leading to inflammation for example some complex proteins May provoke flare ups so it's wise to be cautious with them however it's easy to take these dietary approaches too far for example a vegan or strictly plant-based diet might seem beneficial but it can be too extreme in some cases  the vegan diet is a plant-based regimen that excludes all animal products including meat Dairy eggs and honey it focuses on a variety of plant-based foods to meet nutritional needs the major issue with this diet is that many people don't consume enough protein leading to protein calorie malnutrition a serious issue when you're trying to actually heal inflammation in the gut and in the brain your body needs amino acids and protein should make up about 25% of your daily caloric intake additionally many vegan foods are highly processed with additives and fake meats that don't provide any nutrients needed for long-term Ms health and this approach barely delivers the results my clients are looking for when they're trying to reverse MS symptoms a more balanced and sustainable approach could  be the Mediterranean diet the Mediterranean diet is based on traditional eating patterns from countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and it emphasizes whole unprocessed Foods prioritizing plant-based ingredients healthy fats and lean proteins one limitation of the Mediterranean diet is that it doesn't provide a consistent way to track your phytonutrient intake additionally it's crucial that 50% of your daily calories come from Omega fats which are essential for maintaining gut microbiome Health while the Mediterranean diet includes many beneficial Foods the inconsistency in nutrient tracking can be an issue for  my clients we use a more precise approach by focusing on phyton nutrient-rich diets and we meticulously track the carbs fats and proteins and micronutrients daily to ensure that the diet fully supports and optimizes the gut microbiome this may sound complicated when you're doing it by yourself but with our team helping you out it's actually not that bad we have busy professionals doing it every day and this and the approach can actually be quite simple this level of targeting is essential however for effectively managing autoimmune inflammation and promoting long-term healing in Ms the fourth concept I want to make is  regarding a food diares and food sensitivity testing this concept is all about understanding and tracking your individual food sensitivities when it comes to managing multiple sclerosis the right diet must consider personal food triggers and I've got an entire video dedicated to food sensitivity testing for Ms covering which tests are more effective and how to interpret the results it's essential for any diet plan to address personal food aversions sensitivities and allergies and the simplest and most effective way to track these triggers is keeping a food diary now I know this might seem tedious but it's a very essential and non-negotiable step for all of our clients especially in the first few weeks one thing to keep in mind is that when you're experiencing a flare up almost every food might seem like it's an issue but as you heal you may find that certain foods you can tolerate more than others even ones that were previously problematic and this is why it's important to regularly Monitor and update your food sensitivities because they can change over time as your condition improves so the four  basic types of food sensitivity allergy tests number one is the skin prick test this is your traditional allergy test that you can get in the allergist office you also have a serum IG test this is a blood test to check for food and environmental allergies a more recent test that is also a blood test is an igg4 and this actually looks more for sensitivities rather than allergies and the newest test is a mediator Rel relase tests and this also checks for sensitivities I frequently review these tests for my clients and guide them through what the findings mean for their diet and overall health and if you're interested in taking a deeper dive into interpreting food sensitivity for Ms I've got a detailed video on that topic as well and in it I cover the different types of tests and their advantages and disadvantages and actually the best times to get tested for instance it's not usually a great idea to test during a flare due to the high likelihood of false positives testing when you're in a more stable condition provides a clear picture of what's truly causing sensitivities and the last diet I'm going to quickly mention is autoimmune  protocol and this diet is often suggested for managing autoimmune conditions like multiple sclerosis but it's not specific in terms of avoiding foods that might trigger MS symptoms or enhancing phytonutrient diversity additionally it doesn't do much to recalibrate the gut microbiome which is a critical for managing Ms effectively similarly the low histamine diet is  often brought up in discussions about inflammation related to Ms and the idea here is that the diet diet avoids food that commonly trigger histamine release which can exacerbate MS symptoms however the lwh histamine diet doesn't address the root cause of gut microbiome Health which also plays a significant role in managing histamine production and overall symptom control in Ms additionally it's not tailored to individual sensitivities which are crucial in managing conditions as complex as Ms okay here's a recap here  are the principles of the ideal diet for multiple sclerosis number one is the diet needs to have high phytonutrients number two it needs to meet all nutritional requirements which means counting macronutrients number three it needs to be microbiome specific and number four it needs to take into account food sensitivities I evaluate all diets based on these four criteria at the Mind gut immunity Clinic  we spend considerable time developing custom plans for each individual based on these principles we also provide coaching to ensure accountability and compliance which is why we achieve consistently great results compared to practi practices Focus solely on medication we teach people how to manage their diet from home offering meal plans food guides recipes and grocery list and this support ensures our clients are never lost and can manage their condition effectively from anywhere if you struggle with multiple sceris and have found certain foods that help or certain foods that worsen your symptoms comment below I would love to hear about your experiences all right that wraps up this session be sure to check out my other videos comparing different diets to the phyto diet and how they measure up and if you found found this video helpful please share it with others and don't forget to like And subscribe for more content such as this this is Dr Chan doy with the Mind G Amun Clinic thanks for watching and I'll see you next time

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