Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a name given to a group of symptoms pertaining to a neurodegenerative process. This process can lead to loss of function, pain, muscle weakness and other symptoms.
Often times Multiple Sclerosis will be associated with other chronic functional disorders like fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), depression, anxiety and hormonal imbalances.
One of the underlying causes of Multiple Sclerosis is excessive nerve stimulation, which leads to loss of the myelin sheath surrounding the nerves. This myelin sheath protects and nourishes the nerves. If the myelin sheath is damaged the nerves will be damaged as well.
There are many neuroexcitoxic agents in our food supply and these must be strictly avoided by patients that have MS. Many patients with MS are over consuming carbohydrates, especially in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). They may also be consuming fried foods, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, and food additives like nitrates, nitrites, MSG, and artificial sweeteners. These substances are highly toxic, and cause inflammation to the nerves.
There is a large amount of scientific evidence showing that low progesterone levels can predispose people to neurodegenerative diseases, including MS, and dementia. Therefore, MS patients should have their progesterone level checked and may benefit from supplementation. However this must be monitored carefully keeping in mind the patient’s overall metabolic balance.
There is substantial evidence that MS is related to abnormal vitamin D levels and vitamin D metabolism. Low levels of vitamin D can contribute to this disease, however many patients with MS have hyperactive immune systems which can cause excessive vitamin D. Excess vitamin D will increase calcium levels in the cells, which will activate the nerve cells and cause excess neuroexcitory stimulation, leading to more damage. Therefore vitamin D supplementation should be very carefully monitored. In fact some patients need to be on a low vitamin D diet and even avoid sunlight!
MS patients may have food allergies contributing to their problems. They also have a high incidence of bowel flora imbalances with excessive levels of pathogenic bacteria and low levels of beneficial bacteria. Often times the patient will also have leaky gut syndrome. These imbalances can over activate the immune system, and add to inflammation.
In summary, MS is always multi-factorial and only by finding the root cause of the problem through functional testing, including a metabolic Directed Functional Test, can this problem be solved.
