Research has shown that metabolites for lipid peroxidation are high in Multiple Sclerosis patients and tend to be even higher during periods of exacerbation. The amount of fat and the type of fat in the diet may play a role. An article that appeared in The Practitioner (May 1994;238:358-363) recommended a diet with fats being less than 30% of the total calorie intake. A study appearing in The Lancet (July 7, 1990;336:37-39) looked at 144 MS patients on a low fat diet over a period of 34 years. It was a strict diet, allowing only 20 g. of fat per day. Those who followed the diet experienced less deterioration and lower death rates than those who did not follow the diet. There was a correlation with deviating from the diet and exacerbation of the disease. The patients who benefited the most from the diet were those with minimal symptoms at the beginning of the study. The authors go on to say that diets that omit sources of saturated animal fat (red meat and the dark meat of poultry) seem to be even more beneficial. Stricter fat restriction (allowing only 10-15 g per day of fat) also seems to be more beneficial. The article also states that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids (cod liver oil) reduces relapse rates in MS patients.
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