Multiple sclerosis (MS), is an auto-immune condition affecting more than 1 million Americans. And like other autoimmune conditions, it it's becoming more prevalent. The role of genetics in MS is not significant. Lifestyle choices however may play important roles in regulating the immune system, and therefore should certainly be looked at as it relates to this and other autoimmune conditions.

My guest today, Dr. Terry Wahls, is herself a multiple sclerosis patient. On the podcast she describes how aggressive her multiple sclerosis became, how she herself did not seem to realize any dramatic improvement from pharmaceutical intervention, and how she ultimately discovered the important role of nutrition in terms of regulating her immune system and as such, the disease course of her multiple sclerosis situation.

Dr. Wahls then took these observations and created programs for other  MS patients, applying rigorous scientific principles to study the effects of nutritional interventions.

Her latest study compares her nutritional protocol with a long-standing nutritional approach to multiple sclerosis called the Swank diet that actually began being utilized in the late 1940s. I will say that the results she has obtained, which we discussed today, are extremely impressive. 

There is certainly good reason to consider the use of pharmaceutical intervention in multiple sclerosis. Nonetheless, that's one intervention that, in my opinion, should certainly be coupled with other proven therapies, like nutrition. Dr. Wahls makes it very clear that there are multiple mechanisms by which this dietary change may prove helpful in the MS patient;  by targeting things like inflammation, the functionality of the gut bacteria, and even the function of mitochondria.

I am certain you will enjoy today's interview. I do want to indicate that you can learn more about Dr. Wahls by reading her book, The Wahls Protocol.

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TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Intro

2:20 Dr. Wahls Struggle with MS

14:46 Her Successful Treatment 

27:00 Study of Impact of Diet on MS

47:10 The Wahls Protocol

54:00 Conclusion

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Dr. Terry Wahls is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials.  In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles, and the cookbook, The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life. Learn more about her MS clinical trials https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/. Pick up a one-page handout for the Wahls™ Diet at https://terrywahls.com/diet/

https://www.facebook.com/TerryWahls/ 

https://www.instagram.com/drterrywahls/ 

https://twitter.com/terrywahls 

https://youtube.com/c/terrywahlsmd 

Wahls Research Lab (to learn about current clinical research studies that Dr. Wahls is conducting)

https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/ 

Defying All Odds Movie (documentary about Dr. Wahls' healing journey and research)

http://defyingalloddsmovie.com/ 

5 Day Challenge:

Conquer your autoimmune condition

Creating your healing journey

A free five day challenge that is conducted periodically for the public.

https://terrywahls.com/5daychallenge/

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