David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

Prevention of Multiple Sclerosis

1 Feb 2017 · 2 min

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In this excerpt, Dr. David Perlmutter explains that multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease whose origins lie in gut health. He emphasizes that the gut regulates systemic inflammation and immunity, and therefore a gut‑focused approach is essential for MS prevention. He recommends a diet low in carbohydrates, high in healthful fats, rich in fermented probiotic foods, and abundant in prebiotic fiber to support beneficial gut bacteria and preserve the gut lining. Perlmutter also highlights the importance of vitamin D, citing a Neurology study that showed a 46% reduction in MS recurrence over one year with high‑dose vitamin D supplementation. He urges moving the focus of MS management from the brain to the gut.

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Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is an autoimmune condition, and this is a disease that actually has its origin in the gut. The gut regulates inflammation in the body and really plays a huge role in regulating immunity. Dr. Susan Blum has written a wonderful book exactly about this topic. In looking at multiple sclerosis, we really want to favor a diet that looks at and attacks the gut in terms of making it healthier, preserving that gut lining, and regulating the immune system. And that is a diet that is low in carbohydrates, higher in good healthful fat, a diet that's rich in fermented probiotic-rich foods, and also very importantly, a diet that has lots of prebiotic fiber in it that will nurture the good gut bacteria. We've seen a lot of research lately that focuses on the important role of vitamin D in terms of being related to increased risk for MS in people with low levels of vitamin D, but also even in terms of interventional studies. One study, for example, published in the journal Neurology demonstrated a reduction in the risk of recurrence of MS in 1 year by about 46% in people who were supplemented with high levels of vitamin D. So again, it's time that we took a step out of the brain for a situation like MS and really focus on what's going on in the gut.