Treating Multiple Sclerosis with Diet: Fact or Fraud? John A. Mc. Dougall, M. D. Most health professionals dismiss the idea that multiple sclerosis (MS), a degenerative disease of the nervous system, might be linked to diet.
- Dr McDougall in Shocking Vegan Interview. June 6 2013 by Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt, MD Dr. Andreas Eenfeldt. I'm very impressed with Dr. Mcdougall's books and diet.
- 36 Momentum ?
- Dr Mcdougall Multiple Sclerosis Society. This low-fat diet for MS patients, called the McDougall Diet after its.
- Roger's fight against MS and the disease remission he believed to have been induced by a change in diet.
- The western diet causes multiple sclerosis and a healthy low-fat diet will stop this disease. Almost 50 years of research by Dr. Swank from the University of.
It seems ridiculous to them that so mysterious a disease may be affected by something so simple. Rather than looking to the kitchen for answers, the medical establishment expects a cure for multiple sclerosis to come from high- tech research that will pinpoint some culprit—a virus, perhaps, or a glitch in the immune system. Nevertheless, when I ask physicians and dietitians for hard evidence proving that diet has nothing to do with the cause or cure of MS, they consistently come up empty- handed. I have yet to see a study that says diet will not help MS victims.
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Treating Multiple Sclerosis with the Swank MS Diet. I remember Dr. Mcdougall saying how the Pritikin diet was slowly watered down over the years and is now a much. Diet and Multiple Sclerosis by John McDougall. John McDougall talks about the importance of diet and the effects it has on Multiple Sclerosis.
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In fact, all the existing scientific evidence points to diet as the most helpful approach. Multiple sclerosis is the most common degenerative inflammatory neurological disease in the U. S., striking people primarily between the ages of 1. It is characterized by numerous lesions—areas of damage—on the nerve cells of the brain and/or spinal cord. The lesions are replaced by hard scar tissue, causing the nerve cells to stop functioning. The nearly 5. 00,0. Americans with MS suffer recurrent attacks on the nervous system that rob them of various functions and senses.
One attack may take a victim's vision; the next may cause loss of bladder control; a few months later, one arm or leg may no longer have strength. After ten years with the disease, half of all MS victims are severely disabled—bedridden, wheelchair- bound, or worse. Multiple sclerosis is common in Canada, the U.
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S., and Northern Europe, but rare in Africa and Asia. When people migrate from a country of low MS incidence (which inevitably changes the way they live and eat), their risk for getting the disease increases. Many studies have investigated the environmental factors that could account for the difference in disease occurrence among various populations. The main factor appears to be the strongest contact we have with our environment: our daily food intake. Although wealthy countries generally have higher rates of MS and less affluent countries have lower ones, there is one exception: Japan.
Even though the Japanese live in a modern, industrialized country with all the stress, pollution, and smoking habits common to other industrialized nations, their rice- based diet is more characteristic of the foods consumed in poorer nations where MS is less common. The Japanese case provides strong evidence that a diet heavy in animal foods, not other .
Of course, all aspects of a diet filled with rich foods can cause problems, but animal fats—especially those from dairy products—have been the most closely linked to the development of MS. One theory suggests that feeding cow's milk to infants lays the foundation for nervous system injury later in life. Cow's milk has only one- fifth as much linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid) as human breast milk. Linoleic acid makes up the building blocks for nervous tissues. It may be that children raised on a high animal- fat diet deficient in linoleic acid (as most children are in our society) develop a weaker nervous system that is susceptible to problems as they age. Analysis of brain tissues has shown that people with MS have a higher saturated fat content in their brains than people without the disease.
What precipitates the attacks of MS is unknown, but the suspected culprits include viruses, allergic reactions, and disturbances of the flow of blood to the brain. Most likely, the offender is connected to the circulatory system in the brain or spinal cord, because the lesions and scarring characteristic of MS are centered in nerve cells near blood vessels. One theory holds that the MS attacks are caused by a decreased supply of blood to the sensitive brain tissues.
Dietary fat can have this effect. It enters the bloodstream and coats the blood cells. As a result, the cells stick together, forming clumps that slow the flow of blood to vital tissues. The blood does not form clots (as in the case of strokes), but in many blood vessels the clumping becomes so severe that the flow of blood stops and the overall oxygen content of the blood falls.
Tissues deprived of blood and oxygen for long periods of time will die. Could something this simple be a factor in MS? As an example, let's take a look at the health of people on a fat- restricted diet. During World War II, food was scarce and stress was high in occupied Western Europe. People could no longer afford to eat meat, so they turned instead to the grains and vegetables that once nourished their cows, chickens, and pigs. The result was a dramatic reduction in the intake of animal products and of total fat in the diet.
Doctors observed that patients with MS had 2 to 2- 1/2 times fewer hospitalizations during the war years. Roy Swank, M. D., former head of University of Oregon's neurology department and now a practicing physician at Oregon Health Sciences University, observed that MS patients improved on this forced low- fat diet. In the 1. 95. 0s, Swank began treating his own patients with such a diet.
He got excellent results, so for the next 3. MS patients in this way. By any medical standard, his results have been remarkable: patients' conditions improved by as much as 9. Patients fared better if they had detected the disease early and had had few attacks, but even long- time MS sufferers experienced a slowdown of the disease's progression. Originally Swank was most concerned with limiting saturated fat, but over the years he has become more attuned to the dangers of all kinds of fat. His MS diet is now about 2. Swank's results are unchallenged by other studies.
But instead of advocating a low- fat vegetarian diet for MS patients, many doctors either ignore Swank's work or dismiss it because they think the diet would be too difficult to follow. When I asked Swank why his studies have largely been ignored by the MS research establishment, he told me, . Their research funds didn't pay for this, so how could it be important? Patients who limited their saturated fat intake to less than 2. The death rate was 2. On the other hand, patients consuming more than 2.
MS. The 8- gram difference in daily intake of saturated fat (which triples the death rate for victims of MS) can mean as little as: 1 oz. To arrest MS, the diet must be as low in saturated fat as possible, approximately 6 percent of total calories. That translates into a low- fat vegetarian diet: one of starches, vegetables, and fruits—delicious foods containing only 5 to 1. If you skip eggs, dairy products, and tropical oils such as coconut or palm kernel oil, you eat virtually no saturated fat. Besides arresting MS, a low- fat vegetarian diet promotes weight loss in the obese, relieves constipation, and cuts the food bill by 4.
In fact, this type of diet is in line with recommendations made by other health organizations (including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Surgeon General's office) that urge Americans to eat less fat, meat, and dairy products, while adding more whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. I treat my MS patients with a whole food vegetarian diet with no added oil, eggs, or dairy products. The foods are familiar—oatmeal, cold cereals, waffles, and pancakes for breakfast; soups and vegetable sandwiches for lunch; and spaghetti, bean burritos, chili, and stir- . And everyone knows that MS sufferers need every bit of help they can get.
References. 1. 1. Circulation. 1. 95. Arch Neurol. 1. 97. Reprinted with permission from Vegetarian Times,P.
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Restoring Health by Eating Plants By Mizpah Matus B. Hlth. Sc(Hons)The Mc. Dougall Diet came about when Dr. John Mc. Dougall worked as a medical practitioner on a sugar plantation in Hawaii. He discovered that his older Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese patients – who consumed a diet of rice and vegetables – were thin and free of chronic disease. Conversely their children and grandchildren, eating a modern diet with meat and dairy products, became fat and sick.
Subsequently he created The Mc. Dougall Program, which is based on the assumption that ideal weight and optimal health can be achieved and maintained if we eat a diet based on whole and unprocessed low- fat plant foods.
Dr. Mc. Dougall Diet Basics. Mc. Dougall asserts that animal products provide an excessive amount of harmful fats, which increase blood cholesterol levels, damage the arteries and cause heart disease and stroke. In comparison, plant foods provide us with immune- boosting and cancer- fighting antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and other health- promoting substances.
According to Mc. Dougall, humans were designed to crave sweet- tasting foods like starches, vegetables, and fruits because they provide us with energy and quality nutrition. He claims that if you don’t eat enough carbohydrates you are likely to feel hungry and may tend to overeat. On his program you will consume between 7. You will add fruits, vegetables, sauces, dressings and seasonings to create complete meals. Foods to be avoided on this program include meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, olives, fats, oils and refined flour products.“Breakfast is centered around various starches. Lunch can be a soup or a grain salad, or both.
For dinner, plan a starch- based main dish, along with a low- calorie salad. Salads are preferred for between meal snacks.”There are no limits on the amount of food you can eat and you are encouraged to eat to the full satisfaction of your appetite, without regard to calories.
Because all of the foods are low in fat and high in fiber you will naturally consume a caloric intake that will allow you to effortlessly lose weight. Recommended Foods. Oats, brown rice, quinoa, couscous, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oat bran, sweet potato, butternut squash, cannelloni beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, fresh fruits and vegetables, raisins, low fat soy milk, fat- free soy mayonnaise, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices, carob powder, herb tea. Sample Meal Plan. Breakfast Oatmeal with fresh fruit. Lunch Garden Stuffed Pitas.
Dinner Coleslaw. Mushroom Stroganoff. Exercise Recommendations.
Although diet is the focus of the Mc. Dougall program, exercise is also recommended as an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Even a daily walk can improve your health by reducing your triglyceride and blood sugar levels, alleviating depression, boosting energy and assisting with weight loss.
Costs and Expenses. The Mc. Dougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss retails at $1. Also available is The Mc. Dougall Quick and Easy Cookbook: Over 3. Delicious Low- Fat Recipes You Can Prepare in Fifteen Minutes or Less for $1. Click here to purchase this diet for a discounted price.
Pros. Encourages a high intake of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Many dieters have experienced successful results on the Mc. Dougall Diet for weight loss and recovery from chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Does not require calorie counting or limiting portions.
Can be followed as a lifestyle approach to healthy weight management. Addresses the psychological factors involved in successful weight loss. Provides tips on eating out. Includes a 2. 1- day meal plan with recipes.
Author is a medical doctor who specializes in weight loss and preventative medicine. Cons. Very restrictive and requires complete elimination of meat, dairy products, eggs, oils, chocolate, coffee and alcohol. Some dieters do not respond well to a starch- based diet and may experience hunger between meals or blood sugar imbalances. Diet may be too low in protein for many individuals. Meal plan appears to be lacking in adequate essential fats. Necessary to take a vitamin B1.
Basically a Vegetarian Diet. The Mc. Dougall Diet is a low fat plant- based diet that has been used by many dieters with success to achieve weight loss and for the management of conditions including heart disease and diabetes. According to Dr. Mc. Dougall all fats must be strictly avoided, however this advice conflicts with current knowledge about the value of healthy fats in the diet, which have been demonstrated to improve cardiovascular health and weight management when consumed in moderation.
See Also: Dr. Mc. Dougall’s latest book, The Starch Solution. Plants antioxidants: From laboratory to clinic. Journal of nephropathology, 2(2), 1.
Plants, diet, and health. Annual review of plant biology, 6.