Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group
This community is a place where members can discuss current events and weigh in on what's going on in the world.
Anyone doing anti-inflammatory diet/supplements? IF so how is it helping? What and how much do you take? Can you make up for inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory foods/supplements?
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Steroids like prednisone (4 times more potent than cortisol a natural steroid) are anti-inflammatory but they also leach many vitamins like potassium from the body and reduce calcium absorption, etc. So while in the short term they are useful to get you over a hump..LONG-TERM it would better to try to find some alternatives as LONG-term use can thin skin, reduce bone density , harm your eyesight, liver, etc. If you have to use steroids then afterward try to up potassium, calcium citrate, magnesium malate, phosphorous D3 & fishoil.
Thus I am typing this post. So after you get done getting over your hump and want to naturally reduce inflammation + reduce use of long-term steroids you can discuss some options with your doctor.
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First look at your diet
1.)DECREASING:
1a.) sugar,
1b.) excess carbohydrates and most simple carbs,
1c.) having only small amounts of dairy (soft ie yogurt /cottage cheese are better and less inflammatory)
1d.) Small amounts of red meat should decrease inflammation.
1e.) INCREASE veggies, fruit, fish, chicken beans, brown/black rice, seeds, nuts, healthy fats ie UNcooked olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, primerose oil & CLA.
2.) Alpha Lipotic Acid (R-ALA most absorbed. If it does not say R-ALA then it is 50% R / 50% S. S shape is not absorbed well by the body) was given at 650mg 3-4times a week to people with RA in Oregon Univ study was shown to reduce inflammation. It was so successful they were conducting studies on ALA and MS. I have my husband on smaller dose throughout the week as I never want to overdose.
3.) Fishoil - reduces inflammation in MANY studies of MANY diseases including MS+ it helps protect the CNS
4.) Prebiotics is the food that feeds your gut bacteria. Probiotics are "good" gut bacteria that help protect the gut mucosa. WHY is this important to you?? Majority of your immune system is found in your gut. So by the bacteria protecting the mucosa down-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines that lead to inflammation (they reduce inflammation). These bacteria help promote a healthy immune system and break down food so you can absorb more nutritional value out of what you eat.
5.) Turmeric has been being studied more as a healing agent and reduces inflammation. You can buy the spice loaded in a pill form if you don't cook with it much.
6.) D3
http://physiolgenomics.physiology....
Gene expression analysis suggests that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 reverses experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by stimulating inflammatory cell apoptosis (cell suicide)
-basically inflammation cells (bad) are helped to die. A healthy body encourages cells with bad DNA ( in Gap phases of Mitosis) to die. Or any cell that could cause harm to the larger organism.
**Note if you are low on estrogens then this can affect D see below study
http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/conten...
Estrogen Controls Vitamin D3-Mediated Resistance to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis by Controlling Vitamin D3 Metabolism and Receptor Expression1
7.) Eating a diet that is more base/alkaline(higher pH) can help reduce inflammation and reduce infectious sickness. This would be a diet high in fruit and veggies. Sugar, dairy and meat go to more acid in the body so a diet with only moderate amounts of these items would be better.
8.) Onions, Garlic, cayenne, cilantro, ginger & rosemary all reduce inflammation too.
If you want to see any of the research behind the above information you can go to www.RAMSwebsite.net click probiotic or vitamin D3 links.
Best wishes,
EP
* Avoiding anything you are allergic to will help prevent unnecessary inflammation too
* Quercetin (flavanoid) - is an anti-inflammatory and EXCELLENT at increasing the number of mitochondria in the body which will increase the ATP (currency of the body). When you have to send a message to a muscle maybe 100 times before you get movement (those with MS). This is going to cost you a lot more ATP than if in a normal person you only send the signal once. So this might be something to look into I know we are using it.