Unlock Your Healing Power When You Have MS

Hey there! This post may contain affiliate links. It won't cost you extra but it will help pay for this blog. Thank you for your support! You can read the full disclosure policy here.

Last Updated on November 16, 2023 by Cathy

Vintage door and lock with overlay: Unlock Your Healing Power When You Have MS

The cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) is due to genetics and environmental factors. Genetics plays a small role the main reason is due to environmental factors. This is good news because it allows you to unlock your healing power.

A 20-year study found Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the main cause of MS. However, EBV is not the only factor. Other environmental factors play a role such as poor diet, heavy metals, and chronic stress. How you live your life will either allow MS to continue to progress or stop it.

Multiple Sclerosis Genetic Risk Factor

MS is not an inherited disease although you can inherit genes that put you at a higher risk. The HLA-DRB1*1501 gene is the strongest genetic risk factor for MS. Researchers studied identical twins and found they don’t always both have MS.

If genetics was the main factor then both identical twins would develop MS. Even if you have this gene you only have a 25% chance of developing MS.

The other 75% depends on how you live your life.

If you would like to learn more about DNA check out: DNA Test For Multiple Sclerosis

Environmental Factors Leading Toward MS

Environmental factors are the leading cause of the onset of MS. Such as infectious agents, smoking, and vitamin deficiencies. And it’s not just one factor on its own, it’s due to many factors adding up.

In 2022, a 20-year study found Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the leading cause of MS. They found out of 801 MS cases, only one person tested negative for EBV. They calculated people infected with EBV had a 32 times higher risk of developing MS.

However, about 95% of all adults have EBV but only a small percentage have MS. This proves EBV is not the only factor in the onset of the disease. What that is, researchers are unsure. They do believe it may have something to do with the HLA gene. The HLA-DR*01 increases a person’s risk of fungal infection.

HLA-DRB1*15 is not only a risk factor for MS, it is also a risk factor in other conditions linked to fungal infections. Doctors have suspected Candida as a probable cause for many decades.

In 2015 a study found athlete’s foot cream helped reduce MS symptoms. And what exactly is an athlete’s foot cream? – It is an antifungal.

Another study found people with MS have more bad gut bacteria than healthy people. They also found gut immune cells travel to the brain during a flare-up. These gut cells seem to play a protective role in putting MS back into remission.

Several studies found dairy plays a role in the onset and progression of MS. They found women who drink more cow’s milk have more MS flares. Countries that consume more dairy have higher rates of MS.

A study released in 2022 found casein, a milk protein, is the cause of MS flares. Casein is similar to myelin protein. Myelin is the protective covering around nerves. They believe the immune system is getting confused and attacking the myelin.

So what does all this have in common?

What you eat matters. If you continue to eat a diet that creates inflammation your MS will continue to get worse. If you start eating an anti-inflammatory diet your body will begin to heal. It is not easy but eating healthy and living a clean lifestyle is your best option.

Eat an Anti-inflammatory Diet

First, start an anti-inflammatory diet today. Stop feeding your body foods that create inflammation. Such as processed foods, refined sugar, unhealthy fats, gluten/grains, legumes, and dairy. Although it’s called a “diet” this is a lifestyle change for the rest of your life.

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water. Water prevents dehydration and helps with many other health issues such as:

Aids with digestion
Carries nutrients throughout the body
Cleanses the liver and kidneys
Helps with body weight
Keeps you from overheating
Flushing bacteria out
Lubricates joints
Normalizes blood sugar
Prevents constipation
Sends oxygen to your cells

Eat a mostly plant-based diet that includes lots of vegetables. Pay attention to what you are buying. Avoid pesticides, antibiotics, and growth hormones in meats. Always read the ingredient label, and only choose foods you recognize.

Foods to eat:

A wide range of many vegetables, except corn (it’s a grain)
Fruit, low sugar fruit is best such as avocado, berries, grapefruit, lemons, lime, etc.
Herbs and spices (make sure to read the label on spices)
Raw nuts and seeds
Healthy fats and oils such as olive oil and fatty fish
Wild-caught fish
Pasture-raised poultry
Grass-fed meats

Avoid Alcohol

It is best to avoid alcohol altogether even gluten-free alcohol. It not only makes a person feel unbalanced it also causes many health issues. Alcohol also feeds candida by altering the gut bacteria which makes MS worse.

Acetaldehyde contributes to bad hangovers. Candida also releases acetaldehyde as a byproduct that is living in your gut. This is why symptoms of a hangover are similar to symptoms of Candida.

For extra tips read: How to Start an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Why alcohol is a bad idea:

Affects your mood
Allows Candida to grow
Disrupts your sleep
Drains your energy
Lower blood sugar increases cortisol (the stress hormone)
Makes you feel unbalanced and at risk of falling
Overloads your liver
Weakens your immune system

Alcohol breaks down by an enzyme and is then converted to acetaldehyde by our liver. It is also what causes the symptoms of a hangover. Acetaldehyde also causes mitochondria (the powerhouse of cells) to not function properly. Mitochondria take in nutrients to create molecules for the cell to use.

Without mitochondria, nerves can’t generate energy to repair the damage.

Avoid any foods you may be sensitive to. Eggs have given me gut pains for as long as I can remember. Try an elimination diet to find foods you may be sensitive to. This is how I found out I was sensitive to sweet peppers and tomatoes.

If you struggle to find the culprit ask your doctor for a food sensitivity test. You can also buy an at-home test such as Everlywell and 5Strands.

Start Living Healthy

Smoking is also linked with the onset of MS so if you smoke you need to stop. Like drinking alcohol smoking tobacco creates acetaldehyde.

Ways to get exposed to acetaldehyde which damages mitochondria:

Building materials
Candida overgrowth
Commercial household cleaners
Cooking at high temperatures
Drinking alcohol
Smoking tobacco
Using plastic to store food and beverages

Vitamin D (the sunshine vitamin) plays a vital role. Many studies found the risk of MS is higher in areas with low levels of sun exposure. Most people with MS have a vitamin D deficiency. Get your vitamin D level checked!

Ask your doctor to get tested or use an online lab like Walk-In Lab. This is what I use, I found it to be more convenient and less expensive than going through my doctor. First, you order the test online, then visit a local lab for the blood work. Then, you wait a couple of days for an email letting you know your results are available online. – It’s that easy.

Do not except a “normal” result, get the actual number. An optimal blood level should be between 60-80 ng/mL. Conventional medicine sees 30ng/mL as normal, this is way too low for someone with MS. This is the vitamin D supplement I take Thorne Vitamin D Liquid.

Note: Do not go over 100ng/mL without a doctor who specializes in high doses of vitamin D.

You can see my first vitamin D test below: