The old adage that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" appears to be at least partly true for people living with multiple sclerosis (MS).
New research suggests that a healthy diet -- one that's chock-full of fruits, vegetables and whole grains but contains little added sugars and red or processed meats -- was associated with a reduced risk for disability.
Experiencing fatigue, numbness, tingling, walking problems, dizziness and blurred vision? The study also found that a healthy lifestyle was linked to less depression, fatigue and pain for people with MS. Living healthily means eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a normal weight and not smoking.
"This is an important topic that's very much on the minds of my patients," says Dr. Claire Riley, medical director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City.
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"While it's not proven that attaining these lifestyle factors will improve MS or its progression, the associations are there," Riley adds. "I recommend patients prioritize abstinence from smoking and getting to a healthy weight. After that, eat as healthy a diet as one can organize and afford and try to exercise regularly."
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What the study shows
The study included nearly 7,000 people with physician-diagnosed MS who had provided detailed dietary information for another study. More than 90 percent of the respondents were white, and the mean age was almost 60. On average, they'd had MS for 20 years.
"We developed a dietary quality score based on high intake of fruits and vegetables and whole grains and lower intakes of red and processed meats and added sugar from desserts and sugar-sweetened beverages," says study lead author Kathryn Fitzgerald. She's a postdoctoral research fellow at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore.
However, if you're a fish lover, it may be a little harder to decipher between what's healthy and what's not. One limitation of the study is that no dietary information on lean meats or fish was provided, according to Fitzgerald.
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The study participants were placed into five groups, based on how healthy their diets were.
The group with the healthiest diets was about 20 percent less likely to have severe physical disability or severe depression, the study found. What exactly is severe disability? Severe disability was defined as needing some type of support -- a cane, wheelchair or scooter -- to walk 25 feet, Fitzgerald says.
People with the highest-quality diets consumed 1.7 servings of whole grains and 3.3 servings of fruits, vegetables or legumes daily. Diets of those on the lowest end contained 0.3 servings of whole grains and 1.7 servings of fruits.
If you lead an overall healthy lifestyle, you're about half as likely to experience depression, 30 percent less likely to have severe fatigue, 40 percent less likely to have pain, and one-third less likely to have thinking and memory troubles.
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Which diets work best for MS patients
As an MS patient, you are probably used to experiencing inflammation, so naturally, it makes sense to consume a diet that decreases inflammation, Samantha Heller, a registered dietitian with the NYU Langone Health System in New York City notes. This will improve some of the disability and pain that you experience.
What about those popular diet trends that claim to have "life-changing" results?
The study shows that a number of popular diet plans, such as the paleo diet, Wahl's diet, Swank, gluten-free and more have a slightly positive effect on the risk for disability due to the weight loss people often experience from these diets.
"When you lose weight, you also decrease inflammation and give your joints a break," says Heller. "For every pound lost, you lose 4 pounds of pressure on your joints."
If you are concerned about the effect exercising might have on your MS, for most people with MS exercising is fine.
"Exercise, as tolerated, can help maintain muscle strength and quality of life," Heller shares.
Riley adds that she tells her patients to find an activity they enjoy doing. She also suggests getting aerobic exercise three to four times a week for at least 30 to 40 minutes and to work in some strength training, too.
"Exercise can put people in a better place," Riley says. "If they experience a relapse, they may be more able to recover quickly."
Living with MS can be challenging, but maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle can bring you a great deal of comfort.
