Did you see the new study that's suggesting a low-fat diet could help those of us living with MS better manage fatigue? It caught my attention given that it contradicts the Wahls protocol and the autoimmune protocol, so I needed to understand what it was all about. Is there truth to it? Let's dive into the study in today's episode of MS in the News so you can decide what's best for you.

In this world that no diagnosis can take away from you. So if you are ready to reclaim your body, mind and life from multiple sclerosis, welcome to my MS podcast. I'm your host, Alene Brennan. Okay, I have to admit, when I first saw this study released, I immediately felt like I was transported back to the 80s. I mean, are we really still sending the message that fat is bad? Really? After all the work that we've done to dispel this myth, we're going back here again? Apparently we are, and this time it's directly tied to multiple sclerosis. So let's take a look at the study. It came out of Oregon Health and Science University and suggests that a low-fat diet could significantly help those of us living with multiple sclerosis reduce fatigue. This is something that the university has been investigating for years. The research was led by Dr. Yadov. I believe I'm pronouncing that properly, but she's the neurology professor at Oregon Health and Science University, as well as the director of their multiple sclerosis center.

But as a nutrition coach specializing in multiple sclerosis, I can say fatigue is often one of the first symptoms that my clients experience relief from after changing their diet. And the changes in their diet include healthy fats. They'll say things like, 'I didn't know how bad I felt until I started feeling this good.' Or, 'I didn't realize I could feel this good again.' It feels like freedom when the fatigue lifts. So naturally, food is a hot topic when we're looking at ways to manage fatigue. Because again, there's very little that medicine can offer us with managing the fatigue. Now, we heard through the Wahls Protocol and the autoimmune protocol that including high quality fats in our diet is a good thing. So what's the deal with this study contradicting that?

Okay, let me stop right there because that in and of itself is a little bit of a red flag for me. 39 patients? That feels like a really small group, in my opinion, to be making such big claims. Now, the research has been going on for quite a while, so it's not just this study, but still that feels like a really small group to be making such big claims about. Nonetheless, 39 patients divided into two groups.

This correctly, the group that followed the low-fat diet also got nutrition counseling, whereas the group that followed the regular diet didn't get that until the end. So how can they isolate the results to a low-fat diet when the one group got nutrition counseling? Either way, the low-fat diet wasn’t strictly plant-based because one of their main focus of their research is to have a more inclusive low-fat diet. So they’re not trying to promote just an exclusively plant-based diet. They do want to incorporate some meat. Well, the impact of the fatigue was measured using a modified fatigue impact scale.

Pay attention, and perform routine physical activities. And the results showed that the group on the low-fat diet reported a significant reduction in fatigue compared to the control group. And this finding is aligned with all of their previous studies, suggesting that a low-fat diet can effectively reduce fatigue in MS patients without having to adopt a vegan diet.

Now, look, I am not a researcher. I'm not a scientist or a doctor. So they are way above my pay scale. However, I am a nutrition coach specializing in MS, and I'm also living with it firsthand. And through all of my training, including getting certified in the Wahls protocol and the autoimmune protocol, I firmly believe high quality fats are important for those of us living with MS. Brain health; our brain is largely made of fats. Good fats help us to maintain brain health. And given that MS is a condition that affects the brain and the nerves, these fats are really beneficial for our brain health. The other thing is cellular function. Every cell in our body has a layer made of fats. High-quality fats help to keep these cell layers healthy, which is crucial for cells to function properly.

In MS, where cell function can be disrupted, these fats can play a really supportive role. And energy, fats are a really good source of energy. So for those of us living with MS, where we often experience fatigue, having some steady, slow-burning source of energy from fats can be really helpful. This is actually one of the things that I see most often people make a mistake with when following the Wahls protocol or making dietary changes. They often focus too much on the vegetables, which don't get me wrong,

and vegetables that they're having, which again, that's amazing. But in order to have stable energy, you need to have some good quality fats and some good quality protein because your body will burn carbohydrates first because that's just the easiest source of fuel for your body to burn. But then it needs some fats too, because that is what's that like slow burning energy or that slow burning fuel, I should say, that is going to help keep your blood sugar levels stable. So when I'm working with an individual and we start to realize this gap and start to incorporate more high quality proteins and high quality fats, they inevitably come back and even in the next session and they're like, 'Alene, I finally feel satisfied.' I don't feel like I'm starving all the time.

My energy is so much better. I can think more clearly. I'm going to the bathroom better. Like all of the things start to function better in their body when they have good quality fats in there. The other thing with high quality fats is that some, like omega-3s, can help to reduce inflammation in the body. And given that MS involves inflammation in the nervous system, eating foods that can help to reduce inflammation is a really good thing to do. And then lastly, nutrient absorption. Fats help us to absorb certain vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins, specifically A, D,

bone health, and so much more. So in my personal and professional opinion, as well as falling in line with Dr. Walls, Dr. Sarah Ballantine, high quality fats are crucial for supporting overall brain and cell health, providing stable energy, reducing inflammation, and aiding in the absorption of vital nutrients. All of which are really important for those of us living with MS. But also those of us who just want to be healthy. So as always, I encourage you to decide which works best for you. But I guess it's no secret which camp I'm falling into. Because again, I felt it in my body. I know when I'm eating high quality fats, which can include avocado, olive oil, coconut milk, coconut oil. If you eat them, olives or nuts and seeds, they're all great sources of high quality fats.

Down for you as well. So you can decide what works best. As I always say, eat real food and pay attention to the results. Now it's dinner time for me. So I'm going down to have some dinner. And of course, I'm including some good quality fats. Well, my friend, we've reached the end of this episode. Pick one lesson from today's discussion and put it into action now. It's time to reclaim your body, mind and life from multiple sclerosis. And for more resources, events, and programs, head over to AleneBrennan. com. See you on the next episode of my MS Podcast.