Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Wahls Diet Dilemma

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Wahls Diet Dilemma

    I have been put under some pressure to go on the Wahls' Diet. The basic problem is the anecdotal nature of the success stories. Very limited studies combined with the radical change required give me reason to pause. I have nerve damage with no active inflamatory episodes (not for years). Improvement caused by a reduction in inflamation, whether natural or induced by steroids, etc. happen all the time but I'd like to know how the diet can rebuild nerve axons.

    Its great if diet makes you feel better, but I am interested in restored nerve function. What's the physiological mechanism at work?
    Steve
    sometimes you can't make it on your own

    #2
    Originally posted by skreynolds57 View Post
    I have been put under some pressure to go on the Wahls' Diet. The basic problem is the anecdotal nature of the success stories. Very limited studies combined with the radical change required give me reason to pause. I have nerve damage with no active inflamatory episodes (not for years). Improvement caused by a reduction in inflamation, whether natural or induced by steroids, etc. happen all the time but I'd like to know how the diet can rebuild nerve axons.

    Its great if diet makes you feel better, but I am interested in restored nerve function. What's the physiological mechanism at work?
    All of the diets designed for MS--Wahls, Swank, MS Recovery, Best Bet, Jelinek and more--suffer from the same problem. The evidence is overwhelmingly anecdotal. Research studies simply have not been done, partly because of lack of funding, but in larger part because nutritional studies are extremely difficult to design. Dr Wahls is very careful to say that her program is what worked for her, and needs to be backed up by research.

    As for the physiological mechanism at work (as opposed to the nutritional/biochemical mechanism), electrotherapy is currently being used to restore some function in spinal cord injury patients. Dr. Wahls credits the electrical stimulation she received with a large part of her being able to get out of her wheelchair.

    So it's not just the diet...not by a long shot. That's what really distinguishes the Wahls program from the other MS diets.

    I'd strongly suggest you get hold of a copy of her book. She explains all aspects of her program very thoroughly and provides references.

    Comment


      #3
      Its pretty frustrating, there is lots of advice and like many people with MS I have lots of well meaning advice givers. None of these diets are linked to repair (which I need) and only remotely to preventing attacks (which I don't have).

      I'm already about 20 percent below a slim body weight, so I can't imagine how many steamed vegetables I'll need to eat to keep from becoming two dimensional. I don't need to "feel better", I need to work better.
      Steve
      sometimes you can't make it on your own

      Comment


        #4
        Steve,

        I haven't read Terry Wahl's book, so I don't know all the claims, but I've never heard of any claims to repair axons ever, by anyone.

        Also, an MS diet has nothing to do with weight. It's good that you're thin, but not in the way that cocerns MS.

        So. Read the link below. You may find reason to go on a diet for restorative reasons. Now, this is a theoretical framework for how MS progresses, but it seems to answer a lot of the unanserable questions in MS. One of the things is that there is a probelm with the immune system attacking the mylen, but also on top of that, with the repair. Hence diet may help. Don't forget to click on the icon to read the actual paper

        http://www.overcomingmultiplescleros...heart+disease/

        But another important thing is that you can function without those axons through brain plasticity. Read this book.

        "The brain the changes itself" By Norman Doidge.

        here is a link with some interviews.
        http://www.normandoidge.com/normando...NTERVIEWS.html

        What do you think?

        BigA

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by BigA View Post
          I haven't read Terry Wahl's book, so I don't know all the claims, but I've never heard of any claims to repair axons ever, by anyone.
          Dr. Wahls does not claim to have gotten out of her wheelchair through diet alone. She also underwent a program of neuromuscular electrical stimulation similar to the kind being used with some success on spinal cord injury patients.

          Here's a link to some information about Dr. Wahls:

          http://www.terrywahls.com/about-Terry-Wahls

          Comment


            #6
            I appreciate the input. I have learned the hard way to be wary of these type of stories, not that Dr Wahls has not seen improvement but that there is virtually no objective reviews or criticisms.

            I suppose eating organ meats and kale is not something I look forward to but its hard to separate the science from the hype. That and the $38.00 price for the book. I guess she's an academic.
            Steve
            sometimes you can't make it on your own

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by skreynolds57 View Post
              I appreciate the input. I have learned the hard way to be wary of these type of stories, not that Dr Wahls has not seen improvement but that there is virtually no objective reviews or criticisms.

              I suppose eating organ meats and kale is not something I look forward to but its hard to separate the science from the hype. That and the $38.00 price for the book. I guess she's an academic.
              Dr. Wahls is very careful to state that this is what worked for her, and that research needs to be done to determine if it has wider applicability. In fact, such research is being done currently. It will need to be followed up by other studies, but the ball is rolling.

              It's not hard to separate the science from the hype if you read the book. She's very clear and specific about her methods & findings.

              As for the price, that's because the book was self-published by a small press and such prices are typically high. Plus, it's a big book...8" x 11", thick paper, large type, etc. (I own a copy myself). Future editions may be smaller and less expensive if/when a major publisher picks it up.

              And yes, Dr. Wahls is an academic. In my mind, that's a good thing.

              Comment


                #8
                I get the feeling that I may be coming across as a big fan of the Wahls Diet. I'm not; I just find it interesting and possibly promising.

                As for the bone broth, I'm a committed vegan for spiritual/ethical reasons, so I couldn't go there even if it was proven to be an important factor in slowing progression.

                I do, on the other hand, eat a lot of kale.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Sequoia, I understand she is very careful to qualify her results, but most of what others say is less so, and that creates an impression. An impression that I run into. "If you really want to get better, you should do this" Personally this is the kind of thing that should be tested prior to all the publicity. If I had a dollar for everytime I, or my wife, have got an email with a link to her talk about eating like a hunter gatherer (people who lived to about 25 years old BTW), I could buy her book.

                  Oddly the appearance of MS as a condition, seems to coincide with lifespans getting well past the 30s.
                  Steve
                  sometimes you can't make it on your own

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Organ meats are actually a highly inflammatory food. I try, when possible, to increase my consumption of anti-inflammation foods, and to decrease my consumption on inflammation foods.

                    I found much of Dr. Wahl's video interesting, and, it may motivate me to increase my consumption of vegetables, because I know that I should be eating more anyways. And, because that fits with what I know about nutrition. But, I won't be adding organ meats to my diet.

                    ~ Faith
                    ~ Faith
                    MSWorld Volunteer -- Moderator since JUN2012
                    (now a Mimibug)

                    Symptoms began in JAN02
                    - Dx with RRMS in OCT03, following 21 months of limbo, ruling out lots of other dx, and some "probable stroke" and "probable CNS" dx for awhile.
                    - In 2008, I was back in limbo briefly, then re-dx w/ MS: JUL08
                    .

                    - Betaseron NOV03-AUG08; Copaxone20 SEPT08-APR15; Copaxone40 APR15-present
                    - Began receiving SSDI / LTD NOV08. Not employed. I volunteer in my church and community.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I think we have to be careful not to leap too far with these type of treatment/medicine/diet scenarios. I know I have and its always the case that MS is a wildly diverse disease affecting a wide variety of individuals. To the specific situation where a person sees an improvement in symptoms and function, we know that some see positive results by doing nothing and some see no improvement no matter what they try.

                      I realize most patients are very cautious about such things but there are folks around the perimeter who lack the direct experience and are persuaded beyond what is due.

                      I am not questioning her motives or results but Dr Wahls, like Montel and others, can be frustrating.
                      Steve
                      sometimes you can't make it on your own

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Tell me How

                        Tell me how I can go on this Wahls diet When I can't walk, can't cook, can't grocery shop, eat with my wrong hand only, can't use a knife, can't afford a cook, and live my myself. Pure junk.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Dr. Wahls is an MD, but she does a great disservice to people with disease involving cut axons and black holes.

                          No diet can, or will, change that aspect of the disease. If she got out of her wheelchair, then she obviously still has a mainly inflammatory disease.

                          (Anneth, please get in touch with your chapter of the NMSS. They may have some resources for you! I would be happy to help you find some help. Please feel free to e-mail me at jazzgirl@msworld.org).
                          “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” Ernest Hemingway
                          Diagnosed 1979

                          Comment


                            #14
                            I am with you on this one Steve, I just wish I had my motives down. I can't figure out if I am too lazy or just too tired to try the diet.Is it really all just BS? Do we all really know this in the back of our minds. But we dream on and hope!! Hope is somedays what keeps us going. It's also what sells books.
                            I also have no idea where or how to get the electric stimulization stuff. I really hate to waste time and money on what does not work.
                            A diet that would help ms would be great.I have always been interested in doing these things. ( I do get tired of well meaning friends and family assuming I do not want to get well because I do not Juice and have tons of carrots hanging out my ears)
                            I don't know, do we really all have a different type of MS? If it worked for HER it may not work for everyone? Why write the book?
                            It should at least work for most people? I would think, or there would be no point in selling it.
                            It is discouraging to "always feel a cure is just within one's reach" by just changing what we eat"
                            Why is wanting cake and junk food so much a part of human nature..That a mere human like me would throw away their life to have it?
                            Why is it no one can agree on what to eat? Rice is good, no oatmeal. Yes oatmeal is good. I think they are down to Legumes ( beans being all bad) that blew me out of the water. Pardon the pun. I can't get any organic meat where I live That means Vegan what about protein now? Someone please just give me a list of 10 cheap things I can eat and please include either coffee or tea and I am in.. I will go with it I will test it. If I can afford it.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              PPMS - On the diet

                              I'm PPMS and on the Wahl's diet. As people mention all the time, MS is different for everyone and 1 diet is not tailored to everyone.

                              I went to a Naturopathic Doc who did blood tests and urinalysis. Based on those tests, she recommended staying away from certain foods and eating more of others. I've now combined this information with the Wahl's diet and so far so good.

                              Generally speaking, society needs access to a better food supply!

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X