I have a "semi-significant other" with MS.

I found this today on an MS website. IMO, it is riddled with inaccuracies. What say you?

"The Lowdown on Low Carb"

While low-carbohydrate diets like Atkins, Zone, and South Beach may be helpful in losing weight, what role can they play in the health of people with MS? How safe are they?

Here’s the weight-loss theory behind these popular diets:

Carbohydrates encourage the body to produce insulin, which can lead to weight gain.
By “cutting carbs” the body uses its internal carbohydrate stores (glycogen) for energy. When your body burns glycogen, water is released and you lose weight.
After glycogen is gone, your body will burn fat. Burning fat without carbohydrates can result in the build-up of byproducts called “ketones” in the bloodstream. Ketones can curb your appetite, and as a result you eat less.
All these diets eliminate highly processed, sugar-filled carbohydrates such as cookies, cakes and soda. But they also tend to cut healthy high-fiber and vitamin-rich grains, fruits and vegetables. They allow protein and fat-rich foods, like meat, cheese, cream, butter and eggs, in unlimited quantities.

Special considerations for people with MS

Fatigue—Ketones can curb appetite, but they can also cause fatigue. This can compound an already significant problem for someone with MS.
Bone health—Changes in mobility and periodic use of steroids may put people with MS at increased risk for osteoporosis, a state where the bones become porous and brittle. High–protein diets not only limit some calcium sources, they can cause the body to lose calcium.
Constipation—MS can contribute to chronic constipation. A diet rich in fiber and fluids, along with exercise, is important to help manage this problem.
Long-term safety

The verdict is still out on the long-term safety of low-carb diets. They tend to be high in total fat, especially saturated animal fat, which has been linked to heart disease, cancer, and perhaps even MS. The low-carb craze also restricts fruits, vegetables and whole grains. This can result in deficiencies of valuable vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber. All of these are important to long-term good health.

People with MS need to plan for the long haul. Maintaining a healthy weight is important, and while carbohydrates may contribute to weight gain, it’s calories that pack on the pounds.

I have MS. Articles like this drive me bananas. First, it is clearly a very superficial article that simply restates a bunch of truisms without support. Second, it is largely inaccurate.

Around the turn of the century, before the development of DMDs (disease modifying drugs), the only treatment for people with MS was a very high fat, super low carb diet. The earlier the diet changed, the better long-term health results MS patients experienced.

My experience has been similar. In particular -- avoiding grains is key. This makes sense, as celiac disease is a cousin to MS.

I have tranvserse myelitis.

The low carb (without the "craze", LOL!) WOE has been a great help. I have more energy and am getting around better. Way less neuropathic pain. (Without any meds!)

Low carb does not have to be "ketogenic". (Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I feel best when I include plenty of veggies).

Good luck to your friend!

I have been listening to the Paleo solution podcast recently, and this one show they had talked about the effects of wheat on autoimmune diseases, and neurological diseases like MS. Dr. William Davis (a heart surgeon) was the guest for this episode because he just finished writing his book Wheat Belly.

Although he wasn't promoting low carb specifically... he was really stressing the importance of removing wheat from the diet (which ultimately is where we get a tonne of carbs from anyway).

I found it very interesting and informative. It has a great balance of science talk with layman's terms. I really suggest everyone takes a listen to it.

Here's the link: http://robbwolf.com/2011/08/30/the-...ion-episode-95/

It can also be accessed through itunes for free.

I hope this helps, even if it just gives you more fuel for arguing with close minded people about "traditional" diet advice!

This was recently under discussion here:
Dr. Terry Wahls gives a talk on how a Paleo diet cured her MS

Thank you for that link, Nancy.
I emailed the tube link to him.

While high protein/fat is not necessarily restricted, no LC diet that I am aware of advocates eating an unlimited amount of ANYTHING, and most include an abundance of healthly vegetables and some/occasional low glycemic fruit. Such nonsense like the above are baseless myths perpetuated by LC critics absent of the facts and honest reporting.