U.S. News & World Report: What Role Could the Mediterranean Diet Have in Countering MS?

You are what you eat. But when it comes to a diagnosis of a disease, is that really the case?

Take for instance someone with multiple sclerosis. There are some that say a Mediterranean diet is the way to go. But what are the experts saying?

Aaron Boster, MD, neuroimmunologist for OhioHealth Neuroscience told U.S. News & World Report it’s not a slam-dunk. He says there are plenty of heart healthy benefits inside of the eating tree for a diet like this, but to say it can be a slam dunk with MS patients isn't realistic.

“We don’t want to give MS patients false hope by promising that the Mediterranean diet is going to work miracles on their cognitive issues and other symptoms,” Dr. Boster told writer Robin Westen.

"What we can say with more assurance is that following this kind of diet offers cardiovascular benefits including controlling high blood pressure, as well as helping to prevent non-cardiac conditions such as diabetes and obesity. That’s especially important for MS patients because those diseases can cause the symptoms of MS to run faster, with more frequent and severe relapses,” he added.

Dr. Boster encourages patients to talk at length with the doctor or a dietician to get the best advice for each individual and their course of treatment.

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