Multiple sclerosis is a progressive nervous disorder that normally occurs early in adult life (mostly between the ages of twenty and forty). It is caused by a gradual loss of myelin sheath around certain nerves (nerve function is lost without the myelin sheath).
Some of the first investigations into diet and multiple sclerosis centered around Norway. Farmers who lived inland had a higher incidence of multiple sclerosis than people who lived near the coast. It was discovered that the farmers had a diet higher in animal and dairy products (high in saturated fats) than the coastal dwellers and the coastal dwellers had higher levels of cold-water fish (high in polyunsaturated fats).
In 1948, Dr. Roy Swank, M.D., Ph.D. (served as the head of the Division of Neurology of the University of Oregon Medical School), began treating his multiple sclerosis patients with a diet low in saturated fats to reduce the number of attacks and to slow down the progression of the disease.
According to the Swank MS Foundation, a quick reference of the Swank Diet includes:
- no more than 15 grams of saturated fat should be consumed in one day
- unsaturated fats must be between 20-50 grams a day
- red meat is not allowed for the first year (after that, red meat is limited to 3 ounces a week)
- processed foods must have no saturated fats
- 1 teaspoon of cod liver oil should be taken daily.
In one study involving 144 individuals with multiple sclerosis, performed by Dr. Swank over a 34 year period (published in the Lancet, July 7, 1990), the 72 people who were able to stick to the diet had no significant deterioration and the 72 people who were unable to stick to the diet had significant deterioration.
A high intake of saturated fats have been linked to multiple sclerosis by other studies. In addition, polyunsaturated fats have been shown to be helpful. Omega 3 oils (a polyunsaturated fat found in cold-water fish) are thought to interfere with fats that impair the myelin sheath.
The Swank Diet also reduces platelet adhesiveness and aggregation ("stickiness" and "clumping together" as seen in atherosclerosis and multiple sclerosis).
A multiple sclerosis diet should also include:
- mostly fresh whole foods
- foods high in antioxidants (antioxidants protect the myelin sheath from damage by free radicals)
- no hydrogenated oils, refined sugar, or food allergens.
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