Reddit reviews The MS Recovery Diet: Identify the Foods That Will Heal Your Disease

Gluten! While following the diet in the MS Recovery Diet book I found that gluten was a trigger for me.

I have no problems eating wheat/gluten; no upset stomach, gas or indigestion, etc. issues.

But when I stop eating gluten in 7-10 days I get a mental clarity/sharpness that's just astounding! It was like I had a drunken, hangover haze on my brain and then it was magically lifted and someone gave me 5 IQ points. I tested this repeatedly and it's the same thing every time.

People suffering from MS "cog fog" should think about this -- the connections should be obvious.

Gluten is in everything, it seems. Gluten is now used as a generic 'thickener' by the food industry instead of the more expensive corn starch. So being gluten-free is a PITA, but IMO it's worth it.

I also find that eating lots of grains can trigger constipation, weight problems, etc. The doctor who wrote the book Grain Brain explains why this is medically connected. Grains cause an inflammatory reaction in many people that isn't good for MSers.

Edit: Typos, clarity.

Swank did some work in the 70s on this angle, but little or no work since then has been done.

To me, there is a link between diet and the disease.

The problem is that there are just so many variables, and most people's diets/lifestyles are geared to eating the corporate-produced food that we're all too familiar with.

FWIW, there are other popular MS diets (one example) that you might be interested in.

Regarding Wahls' approach, I have two big reservations:

1. I wonder how much of her recommendations are related to her vegetarian/vegan (whatever) past and today's trends about "raw food."
   
2. While I'm not sure what's "normal," there seems to be a stronger-than-expected twist to making money from Wahls' diet.
   
   Edit: Typos.