The importance of wellness, and the relevance of diet in particular in the management of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) has recently begun to be investigated with scientific rigor. Data from basic science and clinical trials are beginning to permit the development of evidence-based recommendations for diet and supplements as an adjunct to traditional and pharmacologic medical treatments. Diet may intersect directly with MS pathophysiology at the levels of the immune system, the central nervous system, and/or the gut microbiome, and may also affect MS disease course and severity by an effect on co-morbidities.
The foods people eat are a reflection of culture, family and personal values. Over the last 100 years, the intake of sugar and highly processed foods and the number of meals eaten away from home have sharply increased. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, all of which worsen neurologic outcomes in the setting of MS, have also sharply increased. While studies have not demonstrated that a specific therapeutic dietary pattern affects disease course in persons with MS, a growing number of dietary intervention studies have demonstrated efficacy for ameliorating some symptoms and/or improving function and quality of life.
The goal of this Research Topic is to explore clinical and pre-clinical evidence of the relationship between diet and MS.
For this Research Topic we welcome contributions on, but not limited to:
• Qualitative studies related to the use of diet in clinical practice
• Qualitative studies related to patients and their use adaptability to change of diet
• Cross-sectional and prospective observational studies of dietary patterns and multiple sclerosis
• Case series
• Clinical trials of dietary interventions
• Meta-analyses of clinical dietary intervention and observational studies
• Pre-clinical mechanistic studies related to dietary pattern and microbiome, pathology, or immune function in animal models
Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Terry Wahls personally follows and promotes the Wahls™ diet. She has equity interest in the following companies: Terry Wahls LLC; TZ Press LLC; The Wahls Institute, PLC; FBB Biomed Inc; and the website http://www.terrywahls.com. She also owns the copyright to the books Minding My Mitochondria (2nd edition) and The Wahls Protocol, The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life, and the trademarks The Wahls Protocol® and Wahls™ diet, Wahls Paleo™ diet, and Wahls Paleo Plus™ diets (the Wahls elimination diet is not trademarked). She has completed grant funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for the Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis Related Fatigue Study. She has financial relationships with BioCeuticals, MCG Health LLC, Genova Diagnostics, Vibrant Wellness Labs Inc.., and the Institute for Functional Medicine. She receives royalty payments from Penguin Random House. Dr. Wahls has conflict of interest management plans in place with the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Health Care System.
The importance of wellness, and the relevance of diet in particular in the management of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) has recently begun to be investigated with scientific rigor. Data from basic science and clinical trials are beginning to permit the development of evidence-based recommendations for diet and supplements as an adjunct to traditional and pharmacologic medical treatments. Diet may intersect directly with MS pathophysiology at the levels of the immune system, the central nervous system, and/or the gut microbiome, and may also affect MS disease course and severity by an effect on co-morbidities.
The foods people eat are a reflection of culture, family and personal values. Over the last 100 years, the intake of sugar and highly processed foods and the number of meals eaten away from home have sharply increased. At the same time, the prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, all of which worsen neurologic outcomes in the setting of MS, have also sharply increased. While studies have not demonstrated that a specific therapeutic dietary pattern affects disease course in persons with MS, a growing number of dietary intervention studies have demonstrated efficacy for ameliorating some symptoms and/or improving function and quality of life.
The goal of this Research Topic is to explore clinical and pre-clinical evidence of the relationship between diet and MS.
For this Research Topic we welcome contributions on, but not limited to:
• Qualitative studies related to the use of diet in clinical practice
• Qualitative studies related to patients and their use adaptability to change of diet
• Cross-sectional and prospective observational studies of dietary patterns and multiple sclerosis
• Case series
• Clinical trials of dietary interventions
• Meta-analyses of clinical dietary intervention and observational studies
• Pre-clinical mechanistic studies related to dietary pattern and microbiome, pathology, or immune function in animal models
Conflicts of Interest: Dr. Terry Wahls personally follows and promotes the Wahls™ diet. She has equity interest in the following companies: Terry Wahls LLC; TZ Press LLC; The Wahls Institute, PLC; FBB Biomed Inc; and the website http://www.terrywahls.com. She also owns the copyright to the books Minding My Mitochondria (2nd edition) and The Wahls Protocol, The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life, and the trademarks The Wahls Protocol® and Wahls™ diet, Wahls Paleo™ diet, and Wahls Paleo Plus™ diets (the Wahls elimination diet is not trademarked). She has completed grant funding from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for the Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis Related Fatigue Study. She has financial relationships with BioCeuticals, MCG Health LLC, Genova Diagnostics, Vibrant Wellness Labs Inc.., and the Institute for Functional Medicine. She receives royalty payments from Penguin Random House. Dr. Wahls has conflict of interest management plans in place with the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Health Care System.