7 Factors to Address in Stopping Multiple Sclerosis

Last Updated on November 29, 2023 by Cathy

Eating a clean diet plays a huge role when it comes to stopping the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). But, for most people with MS diet is just one piece of the puzzle. There are many other factors and there’s a good possibility you’re dealing with more than just one trigger.

Possible triggers to MS:

• Poor Diet 
• Infections (bacteria, parasites, viruses, and yeast overgrowth)
• Environmental toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, etc.)
• Chronic stress 
• Hormones (adrenaline, cortisol, etc.)

When I first changed my diet back in 2004, there wasn’t a lot of information. The internet was still pretty new and a gluten-free diet wasn’t popular yet. I had to drive out of my way to shop at health food stores because regular stores didn’t carry very many natural foods.

Things have changed, today it’s so easy to eat natural, whole foods from many different sources. And, if you’re lucky you can even have your groceries delivered directly to your home.

However, you can eat the healthiest diet but you still aren’t seeing the results you were hoping for. That’s when you need to look at other hidden factors that could be holding you back. This is when you need to do some detective work.

Stopping Multiple Sclerosis

It is possible to figure out each step on your own but it could get frustrating. You may want to contact a functional medicine provider. They can help you find these hidden factors and to help speed things up.

You can order some of your blood work without a doctor through online labs like Walk-in Lab. However, some tests need a physician’s prescription to order it. The first step is to discover what the root cause of your MS is. Then develop a personalized plan based on YOUR individual needs. Since everyone is different, every path will be different. 

1. Food Sensitivities 

The chances of you having a food sensitivity are pretty high. That includes sensitivities to “healthy” foods. I always knew I was sensitive to eggs. But it wasn’t until I did an elimination diet that I discovered I was sensitive to sweet peppers and tomatoes.

You can get tested through your doctor but this can get expensive. An elimination diet may take longer but it doesn’t cost you any money. If you would like to learn how to start an elimination diet check out: How To Start An Elimination Diet.

2. Nutrient Deficiencies 

Your body needs vitamins and minerals for your immune system to run properly. Vitamin D deficiency is very common in people with MS. You should ask your doctor for a d25 hydroxyl blood test. Don’t except a “normal” result from your doctor instead, ask for the actual number, it should be between 60-80 ng/mL.

Our food and the soil are both depleted of nutrients thanks to pesticides. It’s best to eat organic as much as possible. If that’s a problem buy organic if it’s on the Environmental Working Group Dirty Dozen list.

Vitamin A, B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc are other common vitamin deficiencies. Even if you’re eating lots of vegetables each day you could have a genetic factor causing a deficiency. Such as the MTHFR gene, no it’s not a swear word. 

3. Infections

Candida, SIBO, Lyme disease, and mycotoxins are common infections. Candida is normal in everyone. But factors, like eating a poor diet or taking too many rounds of antibiotics, kill the good bacteria. Candida isn’t affected by antibiotics and continues to grow.

Once Candida grows out of control it spreads through your entire body. If you have a strong sugar craving there’s a good chance you have Candida. But, if you’re already dealing with Candida and are still having problems it could be due to mycotoxins. 

I was able to reverse many of my MS symptoms like heat intolerance after following a candida diet. But, I still had a few symptoms that didn’t reverse. That’s when my functional medicine doctor decided to test me for mycotoxins (mold). My test results came back EXTREMELY high, so that’s what I’m currently working on.

The image below is from my text result for mycotoxins. A common range of positive results for Mycophenolic Acid which is a Penicillium is 5-50. My score was 9,147!

Other infections to consider are the Epstein-Barr virus and the herpes simplex. Studies showed both antibodies were significantly higher in people with MS. Even your oral health matters if your gums bleed when you brush them you dealing with bacteria.

Your body can’t fully heal until all infections have cleared up.

4. Hormone Imbalances

This includes all hormones such as the sex hormones and stress hormones. More women than men get MS so researchers believe the sex hormone plays a huge role. They aren’t sure exactly why but they believe estrogen increases inflammation.

Unfortunately, chemicals that imitate estrogen are everywhere. It’s in our food, water, and plastics. Girls are now starting puberty earlier, at least five years sooner than girls from a century ago. Stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol are also common factors. Stress hormones are there for a good reason. They are our fight-or-flight response to danger. 

Unfortunately, we live in a highly stressful environment. When you’re constantly stressed you’re body continues to produce cortisol. Eventually, it wears out the adrenal glands and they stop working properly. 

Stress has always been a problem for me so when I expected to see a high level of cortisol from my test. But, to my surprise, my cortisol level was low which meant it stopped working. It’s very important to get your hormones checked and back into a healthy balance.

5. Heavy Metals

The National MS Society claims exposure to heavy metals is a “disproven theory.” But mercury can induce oxidative stress, stimulate autoimmunity, and damage DNA and mitochondria.

Common mercury exposures:

• Cosmetics 
• Dental fillings
• Fish such as tuna and mackerel
• Fluorescent lights
• Jewelry 
• Older thermometers

6. Chronic Stress

It’s impossible to avoid stress. But when you’re constantly stressed day after day it leads to chronic inflammation. Chronic stress causes flares and it could be one of the factors that triggered your MS. I know from experience how bad stress can be on your health. After years of constant daily stress, it’s what caused a huge setback and my walking to get worse. Even now, when I get stressed I can feel my muscles stiffening up in my legs and my ankles then I get a fear of falling. 

Unfortunately living with MS is frustrating. And it also causes emotional stress, it’s a vicious cycle. Stress causes MS to get worse and MS causes stress. This is why it’s so important to learn how to manage your stress.

Researchers also did a study on childhood trauma. They had people fill out a childhood trauma questionnaire. Patients with MS scored significantly higher than people from the general population. 

Stress is everywhere so it’s how you react to the stress that makes a difference. Learn different techniques that will help you not get as upset. Take time out each day to relax and feel the stress leaving your body.

Tips to reduce stress:

• Avoid negative people
• Get off of social media
• Go for a walk
• Listen to relaxing music 
• Meditate 
• Pet your cat or dog
• Play with your kids
• Read a good book
• Smile
• Spend some time in nature
• Soak in a warm bath
• Take a nap
• Take long deep breaths
• Turn off the television 
• Watch a funny movie

If needed see a counselor, there’s nothing wrong about seeking professional help. After our son, he went through a really tough time after his diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. It affected everyone in our family so we went to see a family counselor and it helped.

7. Staying Positive 

You need to believe that you can heal. If you have a negative attitude and don’t believe this will work then it probably won’t. More positive people are more protected against inflammatory damage from stress.

They also found that negative emotions can weaken the immune response. Healing the central nervous system is one of the slowest symptoms to heal in the body. It can be a long and involved process so it’s important to not get discouraged. Having a positive outlook will help you stay committed. Believe this will work. Believe in your power to heal.

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