Multiple sclerosis is a condition where your immune system eats away the protective covering of the nerves. In other words, it’s the disease when your immune system mistakenly attacks its central nervous system. This happens when the myelin coating of the nerve fibers become damaged and fail to transmit electrical signals. The brain fails to instruct the muscles what to do, and this leads to symptoms like pain, weakness, and a tingling sensation.

Mood fluctuations, fatigue, and trembling are also common symptoms associated with multiple sclerosis. Knowing how to eat healthy in MS is extremely important to help reduce the symptoms and fight the infection. While there is no cure for MS, consuming the right nutrient-rich diet can help boost the immune system response and reduce the effects of MS. Firstly, make sure to eliminate foods like saturated fats & processed foods, sodium, refined carbs, and trans fats from your diet.

Foods to eat for multiple sclerosis patients
There are certain types of foods that are considered to be more useful and effective in managing the effects of multiple sclerosis. These foods include:

Probiotics and prebiotics
If you’re thinking about how to eat healthy in MS, it’s important to concentrate on your gut health. Adverse effects in your gut contribute to immune system disorders. Your gut flora is a complex system of microorganisms, largely bacteria, living in the intestines. These bacteria break down food and nutrients and play a vital role in digestion. Fiber is extremely essential to ensure a healthy gut. Foods like probiotics boost the levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut to strengthen the immune system. These are available in fermented foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and kefir.

These foods should be followed by feeding prebiotics that nourish probiotic bacteria, and they contain fiber. Consume garlic, onion, asparagus, artichokes, leeks, and chicory for a rich dose of prebiotics. Fiber-rich foods include legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts & seeds.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D enriches the immune system with essential nutrients to fight the causes and effects of MS. Vitamin D is also important to promote bone health. It’s available from natural sunlight, and from foods like oily fishes, fortified dairy products, beef liver, egg yolks, and fortified cereals. Sunflower seeds, whole-wheat bread, spinach, broccoli, and almonds are also rich sources of Vitamin D.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids
A solution to how to eat healthy in MS is a diet rich in these healthy fatty acids that effectively helps relieve symptoms of MS. These foods also support a healthy body and prevent inflammation. Some of the foods that are rich in these essential fatty acids are walnuts, sunflower seeds, fishes like salmon, mackerel, trout, and tuna, soybean oil, and flax seeds. These foods boost body functions and promote cardiac health.

Antioxidants
A large variety of vegetable-based foods are dense in polyphenols that have antioxidants for an anti-inflammatory effect on the body. They prevent cell damage, and help reduce the symptoms of MS. Natural sources of polyphenols are fruits, vegetables, spices, legumes, cereals, and herbs. These foods also help in preventing oxidative stress and protect the nervous system.