There are few things that people actually have to do – eating and drinking are definitely among them. Nutrition with sufficient amounts of energy, vitamins and minerals is necessary for the maintenance of our life function. We are currently in a comfortable situation: No generation before us had access to such a large and safe selection of food, which allows almost every citizen to eat healthily, balanced and above all sufficiently. But precisely because food is of such vital importance, it is obvious that nutrition is attributed great importance as a basis for health and well-being – and thus also conversely for disease and death. And so the discussion about a correct or healthy diet, especially in connection with chronic diseases, often reaches an ideological dimension. Despite the omnipresent availability of food and the immeasurably large offer of hygienically perfect and nutrient-rich foods, the “wrong” diet is seen as a major cause of chronic diseases – the fear ranges from unrecognized deficiency states over the processing of inferior ingredients by the food industry to the fear of contamination with toxins and pollutants. This often results in orientation towards certain diets and behavioral rules, which in turn often harbor the danger of deficiency states and unilateral nutrition – and reduce the quality of life of those affected.
On the other hand, it is scientifically proven that food components such as salt, sugar and fat, especially when supplied unbalanced, can influence body functions and lead to diseases. The influence of the microbiome in the intestine by eating habits has also aroused the interest of modern research, especially in connection with the development of autoimmune diseases.
The topic of nutrition and MS thus opens up new perspectives on possible causal factors of MS. Therefore, I will address different aspects of nutrition in the next editions of DocBlog. You will see that the scientific findings so far are anything but clear. Probably not a single nutritional component plays the outstanding role, but rather the interaction of many different factors. Against this background and on the basis of the current findings, it is therefore not sensible to propagate certain diets. There is no sufficient scientific basis for this. However, since nutrition is of such outstanding importance for humans, it seems understandable that many chronically ill people are looking for explanations that are related to eating habits. But it must be doubted whether there will ever be such a “simple explanation”. Nevertheless, the current findings on nutrition, the microbiome and the possible role for etiology and pathogenesis of MS are highly inspiring and important.
This was part 1/4. The further contributions around nutrition and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can be found here:
- Part 1: Nutrition and Multiple Sclerosis – a few basic thoughts
- Part 2: Too much salt…
- Part 3: Saturated and unsaturated fatty acids
- Part 4: Propionate and the role of the intestine
