What is Multiple Sclerosis?

MS is a chronic, degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Up to 350,000 Americans have MS, which most often strikes those between the ages of 20 to 40, and is more common in women than in men. It is also more common the more further you travel away from the equator. As the disease progresses the nerves of the brain and spinal cord undergo a “demyelinization” process in which the protective covering of the nerves unravel due to damage caused by auto-immune (self destructive) disease. As the nerves become exposed they lose their function resulting in symptoms including: muscle weakness, imbalance or loss of coordination, numbness, astigmatism, and tremors.

What causes MS?

There are many theories as to what triggers MS, there is no single agreed upon cause, but recent research have found that the disease process can be triggered by viruses (especially Herpes and Epstein-Barr Virus). In fact, one German study found Epstein-Barr virus antibodies in 100% of the MS diagnosed participants. A Study by NIH published in 1997 found a strain of the Herpes Virus (HHV-6) has also been found to an activating factor in MS, how or why HHV-6 is so reactive in some people but not others was unclear.

Another theory that has surfaced in recent years suggests that mycotoxin, a poisonous substance released into the body as a result of a chronic fungal infection. Spinal taps of MS patients have found a toxic substance, called Gliotoxin, in many of the samples. Curiously enough, many of the common fungal and yeast infections found in humans including Candida produce gliotoxin. While this theory is not widely accepted by the medical establishment, many alternative medicine practitioners have achieved excellent results with anti-fungal/yeast diets and natural treatment protocols.

Mercury exposure – including so-called “silver” dental Amalgams many trigger or worsen MS symptoms. Mercury can be a massive disruptor of the immune system and can allow infections like Epstein-Barr and Herpes to run rampant.

Regardless of whether its virus, fungal, or even an environmental toxin the one commonality we see in all of these theories is a dysfunction of the immune system. One of the most significant discoveries about the immune system in the past 1o years is how important the role Vitamin D is to its proper function. Not surprisingly, MS suffers living in the Northern regions of the United States and Canada often has more severe symptoms than those living further south. In fact, a recent study found inadequate vitamin D levels to be associated with 72% of all MS suffers.

Normally, the body is able to produce adequate levels of vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun for a long enough time. However, with our “indoor lifestyle”, there are complicating factors preventing us from getting enough sun to produce appropriate levels of Vitamin D, including the season, sunscreen usage, skin tone, and age. As a result, vitamin D deficency is extremely common in anyone living above 40 degrees latitude (Cincinnati, OH, Trenton NJ, Medford, OR) as sun too weak between October to June.

Optimizing Diet

The first step in optimizing your diet is the elimination of artificial sweeteners, especially Aspartame (also known as Equal and Nutrasweet). The FDA has stated that they receive more complaints annually about Aspartame than any other substance they regulate. Currently there are over 1,200 recognized side effects associated with this sweetener – many of these are neurological in nature. Many people have seen dramatic improvements in MS symptoms within 72 hours of eliminating Aspartame.

Eliminate sugar – Another crucial element is to eliminate as much sugar as possible from your diet. Cutting out processed foods will go a long way to reduce excess sugar, in addition to eliminating the majority of damaging fats in your diet. Add to that the avoidance of neuro-toxins such as Alcohol.

Eating foods high in Vitamin D, such as seafood, fermented soy products, meats, eggs, and fortified foods. I find that its often best to use supplemental Vitamin D3 until the blood levels of vitamin D have returned to normal. Quarterly testing is appropriate.

Additionally, both eating and juicing raw vegetables have been very helpful for MS. It is essential that you eat only organic vegetables.

I have found that the “Nutritional/Metabolic Typing” diet is highly recommended simply because the low-fat diet typically recommended to MS patients is not appropriate for everyone. Simply stated, the “one-size-fits-all” school of nutrition is both outdated and flat out wrong. Everyone is metabolically unique and has specific nutritional needs.

Dental Amalgam Removal

Any individual with MS should strongly consider replacing silver-mercury amalgams with other materials. Not only are these dangerous because the constantly leech mercury into your system, but they also have been found to damage your teeth in the long run. Seek out a dentist trained in the safe removal of dental amalgam and chose a safer, non-metal filling instead.

Natural Treatments

There are a host of natural treatments that can greatly reduce MS symptoms and improve the quality of life.

Essential Fatty Acids: optimizing the intake of Omega-3 fatty acids can greatly improve multiple sclerosis symptoms and halt the progression of the disease. The best sources of Omega-3 include Fish, Cod Liver, and Krill Oils as well as Flax Seed and Chia Seed oils.

Part of optimizing your essential fats includes avoiding damaged, processed fats found in most all processed foods. Especially damaging are the omega-6 fats found in soy-, canola-, and corn oil. These are usually highly oxidized and also contain trans fats and cyclic fats that imbed themselves into your cell membranes, distorting the cellular functions.

Curcumin: a component found in the spice Turmeric, which has been found to have some amazing anti-oxidant effects. Not only is great for joint pain, arthritis, and circulation, but it has been found to have profoundly beneficial effect on the nervous system. The rates of MS and Alzheimer’s in India are dramatically lower than the U.S. and Canada.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture can be of great benefit in helping to reduce pain and numbness, improve coordination, and reduce tremors. I have seen some dramatic improvement of symptoms using acupuncture in conjunction with the other recommendation listed above.

Low-Dose Naltrexone

Naltrexone (generic name) is a pharmacologically active opioid antagonist, conventionally used to treat drug and alcohol addiction; it’s been an FDA approved drug for over two decades.

However, researchers have found that at very low dosages (3 to 4.5 mg), naltrexone has immunomodulating properties that may be able to successfully treat cancer malignancies and a wide range of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s, fibromyalgia, and Crohn’s disease, just to name a few.

MS patients who have found a practitioner willing to prescribe this medication have report experiencing improvement within 24 hours. Naturopathic physicians, such as myself are allowed to prescribe Naltrexone in the state of Oregon.

Conclusion:

For anyone who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis there are many natural health options that can great improve both your condition and the quality of life. I have experience in treating MS and other auto-immune conditions. If you, a loved one, or a friend have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, please explore your options by scheduling a free consultation with Dr. Shawn Soszka today!!