MS Isn’t The Disease You Thought It Was

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Last Updated on November 18, 2023 by Cathy

Young woman kayaking in mountain lake with overlay: MS Isn't the Disease You Thought It Was

Hearing those four words “you have multiple sclerosis” (MS) is scary. But MS isn’t the disease you thought it was. MS doesn’t mean you will end up in a wheelchair or it’s a life-threatening disease.

Most people with MS can expect to live as long as people without MS. But, it is also the most common disabling neurologic disease among young people. The key is to stop the progression.

What is MS?

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. This includes the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord.

With MS, the immune system attacks the myelin sheath. Which is the protective coating around the nerve cells. When myelin gets damaged, messages from the brain to the rest of the body can’t get through. Left untreated, this can lead to severe disability.

Common early signs of multiple sclerosis (MS) include:

Bladder issues
Cognitive problems (brain fog)
Dizziness or vertigo
Fatigue
Numbness or tingling (pins-and-needles sensation)
Spasticity (severe stiffness)
Walking difficulties
Weakness
Vision problems including optic neuritis

What causes MS?

Woman walking on sidewalk during a snow blizzard.

Patients are sometimes told there is no cause of MS, but this isn’t true. Researchers know the cause is due to genetic predisposition and environmental factors.

Possible causes of MS include:

Air you breathe
Genes
Infections such as Epstein Barr virus (EBV)
Smoking
Vitamin deficiencies
Where you live

While there are many underlying factors that cause MS, genetics plays a small role. Researchers discovered this when they studied identical twins. It turns out that when one twin has MS the odds that the other twin will develop MS is only a 30% chance.

This means there’s a 70% chance the other twin won’t have MS. This led researchers to believe environmental factors played an important role. Twins may enter the world with the same risk for MS. But their individual habits and exposures determine whether they develop MS or not.

This is good news. – Why?

Because YOU can control your environment and your behaviors.

Subscriber to The Ultimate Guide for Surviving and Thriving with MS

Uncovering the Root Cause of MS

Uncovering the root cause of MS isn’t always easy. It took me years and many tests to realize fungi (mold and yeast) were my root cause.

Recent research discovered changes in the gut microbiome also play a role in MS. They found people with MS have more bad bacteria in their gut than healthy people.

Taking a probiotic isn’t a quick fix but it can help. Since everyone is different everyone’s gut bacteria are also different. These studies used a certain prescribed probiotic that helped. You can get a similar high-potency probiotic over-the-counter version called VSL#3 or Visbiome.

How do you find the root cause of MS?

Young woman outdoors searching laptop and smart phone.

You find the root cause of your MS by looking back at your history.

MS is due to chronic disease and chronic diseases are due to inflammation. You need to become a detective and discover what caused your chronic inflammation.

The causes can be many. Look for possible causes in your environment such as your home and work environment. Also, look at your history. Such as your diet, medications, and toxins such as dental amalgam (silver fillings).

The National MS Society’s website says mercury isn’t a factor in MS. But, according to PubMed (a U.S. health database), mercury vapor is highly toxic to the human body.

One test I took was for heavy metals. The results showed I had a higher level of mercury. I didn’t have silver fillings so I started researching why I had a higher level. And it was right above my head – fluorescent lights.

I went to school, worked, and lived most of my life under fluorescent lights. Fluorescent lightbulbs release small amounts of mercury. According to a 2021 study:

“There is no safe concentration for mercury in the atmosphere, even trace amounts can elicit harm to humans in the long term.” – PubMed

Stopping the Progression of MS

With MS there are many factors that could be driving the inflammation. Two key areas are diet and testing your vitamin D level. It is well known that people with MS have a vitamin D deficiency. To learn more on vitamin D and what your levels should be check out Multiple Sclerosis And Vitamin D.

Eating a clean, healthy diet is not a new concept for people with MS. In 1948, Dr. Roy Swank introduced a low-fat diet for people with MS. This was after he discovered certain regions of Norway had more cases of MS than other areas.

The difference was the way they ate. In the areas where there were more people with MS, they ate more animal fats (saturated fats). Compared to the other areas with less MS, they ate more oils from plants and fish (unsaturated fats). – This was over 70 years ago!

Start an anti-inflammatory diet today!

Avoid inflammatory foods like grains, dairy, vegetable oils, and sugar. Load up on vegetables on lots of vegetables. Dr. Terry Wahls, the author of The Wahls Protocol, recommends eating 9 cups each day.

Eat an anti-inflammatory diet full of vegetables, fiber, phytonutrients, and healthy fats
Remove foods that cause inflammation (processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugar)
Identify food sensitivities/intolerances and remove them from your diet
Provide nutritional support for the body’s detoxification systems

It’s important to stick with an anti-inflammatory diet along with a healthy lifestyle. If you cheat you’re only hurting yourself. Studies show that eating mostly plant-based foods is key to healing.

You also need to fix your “leaky gut.” A leaky gut occurs when the lining of the intestinal tract develops cracks or holes. This allows larger food particles and toxins to pass leading to chronic inflammation.

Fill your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables, and think of the rainbow as you eat. Aim for organic over non-organic. If you can’t always afford organic buy it only if it shows up on the Dirty Dozen list. You can a current list by going to the Environmental Working Groups website.

What happens to people with MS?

MS is seldom fatal and the life expectancy is only shortened by a few months. But, it’s the quality of life that matters. Current disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are not able to stop MS.

“Conventional therapies for MS are based on the use of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory drugs, but these treatments are not able to stop the destruction of nerve tissue.” – PubMed

But, it is possible to stop the progression and possibly reverse symptoms. After I started a Candida diet my heat intolerance disappeared. I’ll admit, it’s not always easy. When you fix one issue you may find another one, for me, it was a sensitivity to histamines.

Possible triggers to MS:

Diet (poor diet)
Infections (bacterial overgrowth, parasites, viruses, or yeast overgrowth)
Environmental Toxins (heavy metals, mold, pesticides, etc.)
Chronic Stress
Hormones (cortisol, insulin, vitamin D – yes, it’s a hormone)
Genetics (you can change your gene expression by living a healthy lifestyle)

Can you live a normal life with MS?

Woman sitting on a blanket on a sandy beach looking at the ocean.

Yes, you can although there is no “cure” for MS you can slow and stop the progression by taking action. The sooner you start living a healthy lifestyle the better.

There are many people who overcame MS by using diet and lifestyle as their medicine, here are a few:

Ann Boroch author of Healing Multiple Sclerosis (now deceased not due to MS)
Mathew Embry filmmaker and MS advocate, see his film Living Proof on Amazon
Palmer Kippola, author of Beat Autoimmune
Pam Bartha author of Become a Wellness Champion