Nutrition and MS: What to Eat

Did you know that a well-balanced diet may help to slow disease activity in MS? Nutritious foods help to keep your body and brain healthy. Learn more about the connection between MS and nutrition from three people who are excited to share their firsthand experiences.

Also, make sure to check out latest animated video that dives into the powerful connection between nutrition and MS! From colorful veggies to healthy fats, discover how small changes on your plate could make a big difference in how you feel: Nutrition and MS | MS Canada

The Connection Between MS and Nutrition 

There's a reason so many people say "You are what you eat." Food contains nutrients that support every part of your body. And for someone living with MS, following a healthy diet including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and healthy fats can reduce symptoms.  

According to MS researcher and neurologist, Dr. Catherine Larochelle, a healthy diet has also been linked to lower levels of disease activity in people living with MS. But what makes up a healthy diet? Dr. Larochelle says a good diet includes plenty of fibres, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables. The Mediterranean diet, which limits processed meats, refined sugars, and saturated fats, is a great example of a healthy diet for someone living with MS. 

An unhealthy diet often includes unhealthy fats, refined sugars, and ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods have been changed from their original form through different processes in factories, and include ingredients that don’t normally come from nature, like fake colours, flavours, and chemicals that are added to make food last longer or taste better. Ultra-processed foods are known to promote overeating. The typical Western diet is one of the most common examples of an unhealthy diet. 

A diet high in salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats can worsen MS by promoting overall inflammation and disrupting the balance of the gut microbiome (the community of microorganisms living in the intestines).  

A balanced diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and good proteins, can help reduce inflammation and support overall health and is helpful for managing MS. 

What to Eat with MS: From the Perspective of a Person Living with It 

At the end of 2012, Marielle went to the Mall of America with her family. The next morning, she woke up with numbness in her toe. She assumed it was caused by walking around the mall for several hours. When the numbness didn't go away, she researched all the symptoms she was experiencing, so she wasn't surprised when her doctor diagnosed her with MS. 

Before her diagnosis, Marielle didn't prioritize diet and nutrition. She learned unhealthy eating habits at a young age that followed her into adulthood. For her, food was associated with comfort and celebration with family, and by the time she turned 21, she weighed almost 300 pounds.  

When she was diagnosed with MS, it changed her attitude toward nutrition. Instead of eating whatever she wanted, she worked with a dietitian and took nutrition courses. Today, Marielle says staying organized is one of the best ways to manage her diet. She makes a weekly meal plan, freezes large batches of healthy food, and cuts up fresh fruits and vegetables in advance. When she realized that a higher sodium intake made her numbness and stiffness worse, she started avoiding high-sodium foods like processed meats, fast food, salty snacks, and packaged frozen meals. 

Marielle shares some tips, that worked for her, to help others living with MS better manage their eating habits: 

• Use nutrition fact labels to choose healthy grocery items. 

• Add flaxseed to as many meals as possible to increase your fibre intake. 

• Use smaller plates to control portion sizes.

By changing her diet, Marielle no longer feels sluggish. Her brain fog has improved, and she feels happier overall. She recommends Canada's Food Guide to anyone who wants to lessen MS disease activity by improving their eating habits. Marielle also says it's important to give yourself grace when you’re trying something new. 

What to Eat with MS: From the Perspective of an MS Nurse  

Peggy Cook is the MS Resource Nurse at Saint John Regional Hospital MS Clinic in New Brunswick. In her experience, the people she sees at the clinic lead busy lives. They tend to reach for the quickest and easiest foods to prepare. Unfortunately, convenience foods are highly processed. If you eat these foods often, you're consuming high levels of salt and sugar, both of which can not only make MS symptoms worse but can often make you feel sluggish and less likely to be active.  

For some people, MS may affect motor skills, making it difficult to chop vegetables, measure ingredients, and perform other cooking tasks. After working with hundreds of people living with MS, Peggy’s confident that eating a well-balanced diet can enhance your well-being. She offers these tips to help you improve your diet even when your MS is more active than usual: 

• Start with small changes. If you try to overhaul your whole diet all at once, you'll end up feeling frustrated.  

• Motivate yourself by adding a healthy food option to your meal plan instead of taking something away that may be less healthy. For example, munch on an ounce of unsalted nuts or have a few fresh strawberries as a snack. 

• Avoid fast food as much as possible. 

• Write a weekly meal plan. If you know what you plan to make, you'll only need to go to the grocery store once. 

• Ask a friend for healthy suggestions. 

• Speak with a licensed dietitian before you make major changes to your eating plan. 

Peggy recommends Canada's Food Guide, MSology, and MS Canada as helpful resources. You can also use your favourite search engine to find healthy recipes. 

What to Eat with MS: From the Perspective of an MS Researcher 

Dr. Larochelle recommends getting a lot of variety in your diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies. She also advises people living with MS to limit their intake of ultra-processed food, saturated fats, refined sugar, and processed meats. To jumpstart a healthy diet, increase your intake of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and fibres. It can help with MS symptoms and as a bonus, it will help keep your heart and your brain healthy and decrease the risk for multiple other diseases including cancer. 

According to Dr. Larochelle, no single food has ever been linked to an MS relapse or new lesions. However, she recommends avoiding eating mostly meals "full of sugar and fat" to reduce the risk of increased disease activity.

Above all, you should work with a dietitian or other healthcare professional to develop a personalized dietary plan. Once you have a plan in mind, read food labels carefully. If you need more information, use reliable sources to do research. 

In Dr. Larochelle's opinion, the best approach is to "aim for healthy food choices that you like" and introduce plenty of variety into your diet. 

Nutrition and MS: How to Adjust Your Diet to Feel Better 

If you're living with MS, diet can have a big impact on how you feel. There's no one-size-fits-all meal plan for people living with MS, but almost everyone can benefit from eating less processed meat and more fibres. You should also eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Limiting your intake of sugar, salt, saturated fat, and ultra-processed foods, may even help you control certain MS symptoms.