This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

Increased production of certain types of industrially produced foods - specifically of margarine, processed meat and sausage, jam and marmalade, chocolate and chocolate confectionary, sugar confectionary and beer - correlates statistically with an increased incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS).

This conclusion from analysis of data from seven EU countries is presented today by the German epidemiologist Dr. Klaus Lauer at the 20th Meeting of the European Neurological Society (ENS) in Berlin. ''This data is not as yet evidence of a causal connection, but is a clear indication that such a connection may exist and thus should be closely investigated,'' says Dr. Lauer.... Read More - http://www.msrc.co.uk/index.cfm/fuseact ... ageid/2479

You know I've often wondered about this, but with that list? Margarine, sausage, beer...I don't think there's anything to this study at all. Sausage is absolutely huge in our diets as well as margarine and beer. And chocolate and Jam? I mean who didn't raise their kids on PB&J in America? To sweeping of a list. It's like Epstein-Barr. How can it be connected when 95% of the population has it but 96% don't have MS? I mean I guess it could be how us MS'rs particular metabolism processes all this, but I don't think there's any way that these foods themselves are the culprit. Just my $0.02

Nitrate/Nitrite in processed meats creates endothelial disfunction by messing with nitric oxide distribution. Excessive glucose does the same thru oxidative stress. And transfats are also on the list of endothelial disrupters. These guys are no nos for heart healthy living by the American Heart Association. If one is prone to a genetic condition which affects the vasculature (say, truncular venous malformations in CCSVI or hardened arteries in heart attack and stroke)-these foods could exacerbate an already bad situation. Lew's right, they don't really harm everyone or create MS in most of the population. But they can make a bad situation worse.

For those interested in learning more about the endothelium (the lining of 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body-including the blood brain barrier) and its importance in autoimmune diseases, check out the paper I put together back in '08.
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=123456602210

cheer

I hear what you are saying Joan; loud and clear and I buy it. But why does it only affect us MS'rs? Why not the vast majority of the population that swills beer and chows sausages and eats donuts?

I know you can't answer that, but that's why I struggle with lists like that which have stuff on them that a vast majority of the public swallows with impunity. As a matter of fact, I know you are right about the nitric oxide. It just doesn't make sense why it's only us that it ends up screwing up; to me anyway. Like I said before, it's something in OUR metabolism that makes it breach the BBB. Not the foods themselves. I mean we should ALL stay away from lots of that stuff for overall health for sure. But I just struggle with "90% of you can eat and drink this stuff and just get fat and have CHF when you're older, the other 10% are going to get MS". I just do.

I do too Loobie.
It's like saying 'living in the 21st century gives you MS'.
I know we are probably the human equivalents of canaries in the mine but this study is just too broad to be useful.

I find this interesting. My sister is diagnosed with MS, and I was on my way to a DX of MS also after getting my first brain lesion in 2008.
Since then they seem to be thinking that i actually have Porphyria.
I'm following a Porphyria diet now and I'm back to my old self.
Some of the no, no's in the diet for Porphyria are sulphites and nitrates, estrogen, iron and certain foods as these can't be synthesised and leave porphyrins in our blood causing neurological problems amongst other things. I'm having my sausages made by our local butcher with Vitamin C as a preservative as an alternative to nitrates etc. So there are alternatives you can use.

Other no no's are chocolate and brassicas and chick peas. Jam is fine, but not the red fruits.
I've reduced my iron intake and use phlebotomy to reduce my iron levels because I also have a gene for hemochromatosis and load iron.

Porphyria is genetic and passed to 50% of offspring. My sister believes she has it too, and not MS as diagnosed. Foods have always been a trigger for her.

Could it be that some people eat so much more of these foods - i.e. candy, chocolates, bacon, sausage, doughnuts, etc. in place of REAL food. I know so many young people who do not know how to cook so eat the above. Perhaps that coupled with lack of sunlight, smoking, beer drinking (not sure if wine was included) and throw a virus into the mix??

Drury

Of course there's the whole Best Bet Diet theory - certain foods can cause some people's immune system to do bad things like attack myelin. Foods like dairy, gluten and certain lectins (in legumes) can possibly cause leaky gut and then cross into the bloodstream and raise havoc with certain people. Saturated fats are obviously not good for anyone, especially if you have ms, and a compromised venous system. There have been too many ms people helped by diet to dismiss it.

Lew---the lousy diet messes with you because you were born with messed up jugulars (and maybe azygos) And it's not only MSers, but that's the focus of this particular study. All of these foods are endothelial disrupters, and not good for ANY heart patients.

Think about it...if you had a genetic predisposition to heart attack, high blood pressure, or stroke, the doctor would tell you to watch your saturated fat intake. If you were born with a genetic predisposition to diabetes, you'd watch your glucose levels. Well, you and Jeff were born with truncular venous malformations. You didn't know it...and guess what? People born with venous malformation in their portal vein don't know it until their livers start failing. For you and Jeff, the brain and spinal cord are the warning bell.

Living in the 21st century doesn't give you MS... BUT, living in an industrialized nation will sure make your MS worse. It's also not good for asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, cancer and a bunch of other diseases.
make sense?
cheer

Yes it does. The genetic defect coupled with these foods makes it look like the nitric oxide just 'sets it loose'.