Muscular Sclerosis Diet

Muscular sclerosis (MS) is a degenerative neurological disease in which signals from brain are not transmitted by the nerves to the rest of the body. It is also known as multiple sclerosis. Before designing a diet for people diagnosed with muscular sclerosis, it is necessary to know what people with this disease suffer from. The disease can significantly impair the quality of life. The most important thing to note down is that multiple sclerosis life expectancy and life expectancy for those without MS are almost the same, because MS is not a fatal disease. But some people with MS may succumb to secondary illnesses caused by the disease. Hence, balanced diet plays a very important role in their life.

Lack of motor coordination in the hands, arms and legs, changes in vision, incontinence and muscle pain, numbness and tingling, burning or crawling sensations, clumsiness, fatigue and muscle pain are some of the symptoms of muscular sclerosis, which need to be managed with the help of a healthy diet. There is no conclusive scientific data available which can prove that any kind of nutritional therapy can worsen the course of MS or can make it better. Dietitians do suggest to include the best nutrients in a multiple sclerosis diet but the diet plans suggested require a great amount of attention to details, which is not easy to do for a person with MS. Moreover, most diet plans tend to be quite expensive. However, if you know some basic concepts in nutrition, it is easy to design a muscular sclerosis diet.

Diet to Fight Muscular Sclerosis

Everybody needs proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and water to function properly. Proteins are required for growth, normal maintenance, for protection against diseases and for repair of body tissues. Saturated fats are of animal origin and they can lead to an increase in cholesterol levels and can lead to heart disease. Unsaturated fats come from plants. Carbohydrates provide energy and especially, those that come from starch are good for health. Vitamins and minerals also provide energy and strengthen your nerves and muscles. Your body needs more than 20 different minerals which play a crucial role in the body's chemistry.

Water is essential for transportation of nutrients and hormones. It helps throw away waste products from the cells and thus, regulates the body temperature. For a person diagnosed with MS, a rise in body temperature can lead to fatigue or can worsen the already existing symptoms. So, daily 8 - 10 glasses of water should be consumed. Drinking small amounts frequently rather than large amounts at longer intervals may cut down trips to the bathroom.

Dietitians suggest that 60 to 65% of daily calories should come from carbohydrates, 15 to 20% from proteins and 20 to 25% from fats. But it is difficult to focus on percentages, so you may just remember that most of the food should come from vegetables, whole grains, fruits, low-fat dairy foods and legumes, with minimal amounts of fish, lean meats and skinless poultry. In a muscular sclerosis diet, you need to include foods from all the six food groups.

In a muscular sclerosis meal, the largest amount should come from whole grains. There should be minimum use of fats, oils and sweets. Foods may be selected from the list of low carbohydrate foods or from the list of 'filling low calorie foods'. Including low fat versions of dairy products will be beneficial. Selecting lean cuts of meat, sea fish and skinless poultry is necessary to avoid excess consumption of fats. Actually, meat consumption should be restricted to three to four ounces per day and the amount of fat added to foods (butter, oils, dressings, and spreads) should also be limited. Baking, broiling, and boiling should be preferred instead of frying. These days, numerous muscular sclerosis recipes are available on Internet and you can easily refer to them.

Diet Tips

While following a MS recovery diet, it is essential to avoid carbonated drinks, soda, alcohol, tobacco, sweetened beverages, excess salt, sodium rich foods, etc. Sugar and salt can be replaced with specific seasonings. For example, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, mint, mace, clove and ginger can be added instead of sugar and onion, garlic, parsley, celery, cayenne, chili powder, rosemary, sage, tarragon, oregano, and basil can enhance the taste of a dish though salt is not added to it. As mentioned above, drinking plenty of water is essential. The most common problem faced by MS patients is constipation. Drinking plenty of water and following a high fiber diet can help avoid the problem.

Another factor that contributes to constipation is lack of physical exercise which may result in weight gain. A low calorie diet is not always the best solution. MS patients should perform some exercises that can be done from a chair or bed to keep limber and increase the muscle tone. They might find it difficult but it's not impossible. A perfect balance between caloric intake, exercise and fatigue should be maintained by the patients of muscular sclerosis. Weight loss is possible if they eat smaller but more frequent meals.

The exact causes of M.S. are not yet known. So, learning to live with MS is necessary when the symptoms are noticed and the diagnosis is confirmed. There is no cure for muscular sclerosis but following a healthy diet and practicing a healthy lifestyle is not very difficult. Only a little bit of discipline, persistence and patience is required.