What to eat on the Overcoming MS diet
Switching to a plant-based, wholefood diet that is rich in omega-3 while excluding dairy and minimizing saturated fat intake is critical in recovering from your symptoms and living a long, healthy life.
The Overcoming MS diet provides a wide variety of foods to enjoy, including fruits, grains, fish and seafood and dairy alternatives. Check what you are encouraged to eat and what should be avoided on the Overcoming MS diet.
Following a healthy diet is important in improving symptoms and preventing the progression of multiple sclerosis.
Foods to enjoy
The importance of diet for people with MS
Professor George Jelinek pointed out the amazing statement in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, at the end of 2022:
"there is sufficient evidence to recommend a healthy diet as an adjunct intervention in MS."
To read more about this landmark validation of the importance of diet to people with MS, see our blog by Dr Jonathan White and Professor George Jelinek.
We have lots of helpful pages and blog posts that cover the Overcoming MS diet
Here we have picked out some of the most useful pages to help you with adopting these lifestyle changes. This includes tips on how to make changes, answers to frequently asked questions and some diet cards which are helpful for explaining your dietary requirements.
Finding alternatives
Replacing cheese
Hints and tips on what you can use in recipes to replace dairy products like butter, milk and cream. There are so many dairy-free options available that avoiding dairy doesn't need to mean that you miss out on the food you love.
Replacing meat
If you're new to Overcoming MS, finding meat substitutes that are OMS-friendly can be a little confusing. We've put together some suggestions of options to replace meat in meals, that are high in protein and also OMS-friendly.
Replacing eggs
While egg white can be eaten when following the Overcoming MS diet recommendations, egg yolk is not recommended on the Overcoming MS program due to saturated fat content. Some people choose to omit eggs altogether, for example, if they have a plant-based diet.
Eat in moderation
Foods containing monounsaturated (neutral) and polyunsaturated (good) fats such as avocados, seeds, nuts and oily fish should be consumed in a balanced way when following the Overcoming MS Program.
Overcoming MS Cooking
Cooking techniques
It is not necessary to learn lots of new cooking techniques or dramatically change the way you cook when following the Overcoming MS program. The only thing that may need altering is the amount of fat and oil you use in your cooking.
Which oils?
What oils can I consume as part of the Overcoming MS diet? All naturally occurring oils are in fact a blend of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is this makeup that determines which are suitable for you to have on the Overcoming MS diet, which is low in saturated fat.
Omega-3 Supplementation
Overcoming MS recommends people with MS to take 20-40 mls of flaxseed oil per day to increase the amount of omega-3 in their diet.
Science behind the diet
Overview: why is diet important?
Overcoming MS incorporates MS diet recommendations that are scientifically researched and play an important role in managing MS.
Dairy and MS
Research shows a high correlation between MS and dairy products, because of the high saturated fat content and specific proteins in cow’s milk.
Role of fats in MS
Several long-term studies show a close connection between saturated fats and the development and progression of MS.
Guide to understanding fats
There are many different types of fats, some are ‘good’ for the immune system, others are neutral and some are ‘bad’. Here’s a useful list to help you figure out which is which.