MS: Probable Cause and Best Bet Treatment

BEST BET DIET BOOK
Scientific Papers

"MS: Probable Cause and Best Bet Treatment" Dr. Ashton Embry © 1996
Section 10: Anecdotal Data
A final area of potential useful data is anecdotal evidence regarding recoveries from MS or significant positive changes in the course of MS. Such data are quite rightly regarded as "soft" and by themselves provide little, if any, good evidence for interpreting the cause of MS. However, taken from another point of view, these independent accounts of positive changes in MS progression can provide another test of any proposed cause. For example, if dietary factors are the main cause of MS, then it might be expected that diet revision, involving the avoidance of hypersensitive and high saturated fat food, was a critical factor in many of the documented anecdotal accounts. To test this I searched for all the accounts of "MS recovery" that I could find in the literature, on the Internet, and through conversations with persons with MS. On the basis of the results of this investigation it would indeed appear that diet revision is a very critical treatment for achieving positive results in the halting or significantly altering the progression of MS. Perhaps the most impressive account of recovery is that of Roger MacDougall (1980) which is described in "My Fight Against Multiple Sclerosis". Mr. MacDougall went from being near blind and confined to a wheelchair to normal health and activity level (for over 35 years) by faithfully adhering to a low fat, food sensitivity-free diet. Other published "success" stories which used diet revision as the main therapy include those of Rachelle Breslow, Alan Greer, Judy Graham, Bob Lawrence, John Pageler and Bryan Forbes. Recently a number of accounts of recovery have been gathered on a website (www.2cowherd.net/q) by an individual who himself has recovered from chronic progressive MS (wheelchair confined) to a normal, healthy lifestyle through diet revision. Of special interest is a scientific paper (Meyer et al., 1954) published over forty years ago when "allergy" was seriously considered as a possible cause of MS. The authors describe 17 case histories of persons with MS whose symptoms were greatly alleviated by avoidance of identified food and inhalant "allergies" (non IgE-mediated). Importantly the authors note that in cases where offending substances were reintroduced that MS symptoms returned. In another well known study of diet revision, Swank and Dugan (1987) reported that 66 patients who reduced their daily saturated fat intake to less than 20 grams experienced, on average, only very minor deterioration over 35 years. This result contrasted with 31 patients who did not follow such a low fat diet and suffered major deterioration during the same 35 year study. It should be noted that such a low fat dietary regime also resulted in a greatly reduced consumption of the foods which most commonly cause hypersensitivity reactions (dairy, grains, eggs). These impressive results are perhaps the best documented evidence of the beneficial effects of diet revision on the course of MS. And what of my son? I had my son tested for food sensitivities on the basis of the concepts presented herein. He came back with numerous significant hypersensitivities with dairy products, legumes and eggs being very problematic. After he began avoiding his offending foods and went on a very low fat diet, a number of "minor" ailments which had plagued him for years completely disappeared. These included night sweats, headaches, petechia (bruising), rhinitis, slight hand tremor and light sensitivity. These ailments are related to inflammatory reactions and are very common in persons with MS (Swank and Dugan, 1987). All of his MS symptoms also disappeared and a subsequent neurological examination revealed no neurological deficits. There is no doubt that such drastic diet revision has been difficult but my son takes the philosophical approach of DIET or WHEELCHAIR. This certainly provides the necessary incentive to faithfully stick to his strict, but absolutely essential, dietary regime. He has remained in excellent health for the past 15 months. Notably a number of persons with MS who read the first "edition" of this essay, which was put on the Internet in early 1996, have reported significant improvement through diet revision therapy. One example is Deidre's story which was written by her mother and is transcribed below.
End section 10.