Intermittent Fasting, OMAD, Ketosis, Autophagy for Multiple Sclerosis: MD Explains Pro/Cons

fasting for multiple sclerosis does it help and is it sustainable that’s the question we’re diving into today we’ll be exploring different fasting methods such as water fast intermittent fasting one meal a day and the pros and cons of ketosis hi I’m Dr Chan oser a surgeon who specializes in reverse in complex inflammation naturally using the Mind gut immunity method we’ve refined our methodology over the past 12 years and helped thousands of patients recover we look at conditions such as multiple sclerosis and solve the root cause and as you know by now from hundreds of research papers on the topic the gut microbiome plays a significant role in modulating the immune system response for multiple sclerosis if you want to find out more about how we fix these issues schedule a discovery call with me and I’ll provide you with some helpful tips on how to get started here are a few studies that describe fasting in the setting of multiple sclerosis here’s a 2024 study that looks at the effects of intermittent fasting on patients with multiple sclerosis and here’s a 2021 study that analyzed the outcomes of intermittent fasting on brain and cognitive function in conditions such as multiple sclerosis but I’ll also share personal insights into how fasting impacts Ms over the long term first it’s essential that you understand that 80% of your immune system resides in your gut this area is known as mucosa associated lymphatic tissue or Mt for short Mt contains trillions of immune cells that react to whatever is in the intestine and what’s in there primarily food and microbes including bacteria fungi and viruses these microbes digest food and produce secondary and tertiary metabolites which can trigger an immune response and nerve damage in the brain the spinal cord and your peripheral nerves this is why it’s so important not only to eat the right kinds of foods but also maintain a healthy and balanced microbiome to manage conditions like multiple sclerosis effectively check out my other video entitled ideal diet for multiple sclerosis which I’ve Linked In the description below in that video I discuss the four criteria I use to determine whether a diet is actually going to work or not spoil alert I’m a strong advocate of the phytonutrient diet we use it extensively in our clinic and we see excellent results when combined with Precision micro biome recalibration many of our patients experience significant symptom Improvement and reversal sometimes within just a few weeks I encourage you to watch this video so that you learn more about why phytonutrients are so important to managing Ms now the four criteria I use to evaluate whether any dietary approach Works including fasting are as follows phytonutrient density and diversity macronutrient requirements microbiome specificity and food sensitivity if you want to know why these these factors matter check out the ideal diet for multiple sclerosis video it’s linked in the description but I’ll also give you a quick recap here so you don’t have to switch back and forth phytonutrient density and diversity phytonutrients are powerful micronutrients that help reduce inflammation in the body and help nerves heal and regenerate numerous Studies have highlighted the role of phytonutrients in managing multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative conditions here’s a 2023 study on polyphenols 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 and here’s one from 2022 discussing the contribution of natural compounds with well-known antioxidant potential in Ms progression and modulation over time phytonutrients are molecular compounds found primarily in plants and fungi and they have a strong positive effect on overall health these include superfoods micronutrients and antioxidant research consistently shows that supplementing your diet with phytonutrients can help alleviate symptoms associated with MS and phytonutrients fall into several categories tpes phenols chlorophyll thiocyanates phyto enzymes phyto oils prebiotics and alkaloids and while there are other smaller groups out there like betal Lanes from beets and herisson from mushrooms focusing on these eight categories will cover most of your phytonutrient needs for multiple sclerosis the deficiencies in these essential nutrients can disrupt The crucial mind gut immune connection making it harder to manage inflammatory conditions and nerve damage seen in conditions like Ms the goal is to maximize and optimize your intake of phytonutrients from everyday Foods by maximizing optimize I mean increasing both the variety and the density of the phytonutrients in your diet which is crucial for maintaining overall health a diet that’s low in phytonutrients makes it more challenging to overcome inflammation and make a true recovery in Ms when it comes to fasting we naturally consume fewer phytonutrients or in some cases none at all while you may feel better temporarily when your digestive system is empty this Improvement is often short-lived without phytonutrients the immune system isn’t being properly regulated which means multiple sclerosis symptoms can quickly return once you stop fasting one suggestion I have is to incorporate herbal teas if you’re planning a water fast or several days of intermittent fasting with a six or 8 Hour window herbal teas provide phytonutrients like polyphenols and tpin which are great for reducing inflammation and healing nerves without adding calories next macro requirements macro is short for macronutrients and these are carbohydrates fats and proteins all of which the body requires to function properly I’ve got a tool on my my website called the macro calculator which can help you determine your body’s maintenance needs based on factors such as height weight age gender and activity level it’s important to note that these macronutrient estimates are based on ideal physiologic conditions however when fasting you won’t be able to get these nutrients in the long term or at the very least you’ll be getting them in very reduced numbers so let’s review the types of fasting you have water fasts which are 24 48 72 hours or even up to 5 to 14 days you have total caloric restriction which is consuming fewer than 800 or 1,000 calories in a day you also have intermittent fasting which is eating in a 6 hour 8 hour 10 hour or 12-h hour window and you can have one meal a day consuming all of your calories in just one meal whichever fasting method you choose the underlying benefit is ketosis and ketosis occurs when your body stops using carbohydrates for fuel and instead relies on stored fat and muscle for energy supporters of fasting for multiple sclerosis often point to oophagy a process where the body cleans out old or damaged cells which has anti-inflammatory benefits but here’s the problem while these fasting strategies may offer temporary relief for MS symptoms they almost always return so what happens the second time or the third time or or in the long term if you continue fasting to maintain your condition when symptoms return eating can become even more challenging you might feel bloated fatigued or low energy after meals sounds sounds a lot like Ms doesn’t it these symptoms can cause you to avoid eating creating a vicious cycle that’s hard to break especially if you’re underweight a body mass index of 18 or lower can be particularly concerning for people with MS and you can check your BMI using a BMI calculator on our Clinic’s website if your BMI is below 18 then that’s a serious problem and I’ve treated patients as low as 13 when someone with Ms has low BMI it means that their body is in a catabolic State breaking down protein instead of building it up this can slow down healing and Recovery many patients in this situation struggle to tolerate food and require careful coaching to reintroduce it into their diet the reason I emphasize this is that the solution to a dysfunctional gut microbiome should never be to avoid food or stopping eating even if the fasting makes you feel better in the short term believe me I’ve been there I used to use fasting myself and I understand the appeal but instead of avoiding food the focus should be on reducing inflammation First Once that’s under control then you can return to more normal eating habits and when you make this change and when my patients make this change the results are much more sustainable unfortunately many people with Ms have given up on trying to find out what is the right diet and may end up avoiding food altogether here’s a recent study that shows how intermittent fasting for prolonged periods of time can increase the risk of cardiac death furthermore if you have caloric restriction for long periods of time and we’re talking over several days weeks and months of intermittent fasting various issues can arise you have weight loss muscle wasting thyroid dysfunction cortisol and sympathetic endocrine dysfunction sleep disturbances protein calorie malnutrition which impedes nerve healing and inflammation control nausea reflux and a feeling of fullness and decreased appetite and severe intermittent fatigue the reason I emphasize this is that the solution to a dysfunctional microbiome should never be to stop eating or avoiding to eat altogether instead the focus should be on reducing inflammation first then returning to a normal balanced diet unfortunately like I said many people dealing with Ms have given up on finding what the ideal diet is and may end up avoiding food which only makes the problem worse and if you’re trying to figure out what the ideal macronutrient balance for managing multiple sclerosis is the key is to focus on fats carbs and proteins to help reduce inflammation I recommend that approximately 50% of your daily calories come from fats with carbohydrates and proteins making up about 25% the the reason carbohydrates should make up a smaller portion of the diet initially is because the harmful gut bacteria and particularly candida they thrive on sugar they love carbs if your microbiome is already imbalance feeding it sugar will only exacerbate the problem you basically have bad bacteria and fungus paired with sugar carbs and fiber in the diet that travels to other parts of your body like your brain and spinal cords and nervous system simple sugars like glucose and fructose can stimulate the growth of both harmful bacteria and fungi similarly simple starches such as those found in processed flour can lead to bacterial and fungal overgrowth this observation comes from my extensive experience working with thousands of patients rather than any specific scientific studies if your goal is to lose weight then you may need to reduce both the carbs and fats even further while increasing your protein intake and cutting overall calories on the other hand if you’re trying to gain weight you’ll want to increase your total caloric intake and adjust your carbs fat ratios for a more balanced approach tracking your macronutrients can significantly help you in achieving your multiple sclerosis recovery goals it requires effort but it’s worth it this approach not only improves your diet balance but also contributes to better long-term outcomes so just a recap the criteria I use to judge whether a diet will work for reversing multiple sclerosis longterm in my patients with inflammation are the following phytonutrient focused meeting nut nutritional requirements microbiome specificity and avoiding food sensitivity and as mentioned earlier feel free to check out some of my other videos and refer to the description below for additional resources you’ll find links to the body mass calculator a guide to the different types of phytonutrients needed to help manage multiple sclerosis a macronutrient calculator to help you determine your daily carbs fats and protein needs and a fiber and starch guide to help you avoid carbohydrates that can worsen gut microbiome dysfunction as I I’ve said earlier I help my clients with Ms formulate their diets based on these principles and they tend to do quite well the severity of their symptoms often decreases significantly in a short period of time many are able to reduce or completely stop their medication and live healthier more productive and fulfilling lives I am a strong advocate of the phyto diet which I use routinely for my clients and it’s an effective diet for recalibrating the microbiome and addressing issues related to phytonutrient deficiencies this diet also helps avoid food sensitivities while meeting long-term nutritional needs for those who are undereating this typically means increasing food intake specifically eating more foods that not only help you gain healthy weight but also heal inflammation the right way by following this approach you can avoid many of the negative consequences associated with long-term unding and it’s true that reversing the effects of fasting can be hard work but with the right plan it’s entirely possible okay one last thing I would love to hear your thoughts down below comment on the types of foods that exacerbate your MS symptoms and inflammation and what you’ve done to avoid them and finally if you like this video please like And subscribe and be sure to share this video with someone you think it’ll help this is Dr Chan osri with the Mind gut immunity clinic and I’ll see you next time