New Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough Could Save Lives

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, you know what a devastating, life-robbing condition it is.

It’s an autoimmune disease that can cause blurred vision, fatigue, paralysis, memory problems, and balance problems.

That’s what we do know.

What we didn’t know is what causes it—or how to cure it.

But recent study has given researchers a clue as to what triggers M.S.

And it may show us a simple way to make sure you NEVER get this debilitating disease.

I’ve talked before about the importance of maintaining a healthy balance of gut bacteria.

Imbalances in this population—called the gut microbiome—have been linked to everything from eye diseases to rheumatoid arthritis to breast cancer.

Now, two recent studies have linked an imbalance in these bacteria to M.S.

A study published in PNAS found that people with M.S. have a 4 times higher amount of two particular strains of bacteria: Acinetobacter and Akkermansia.

Yet a bacteria called Parabacteroides was 4 times higher in healthy people than in those with MS.

Another recent study published in the same journal found similar results. This time, the researchers examined sets of twins, where one twin had M.S. and the other didn’t.

Once again, the Akkermansia was significantly higher in the twin with M.S.

This imbalance in gut bacteria can trigger the immune system to overreact, and when that happens, the coating around neurons gets damaged.

This causes communication problems with other parts of the body, and is the reason for variety of symptoms associated with M.S.

The good news is that studies show that using probiotics can help reduce M.S. symptoms by keeping the immune system from overreacting.

Just make sure it’s a high-quality probiotic, like the kind you can buy in the refrigerated section of any local health food store.

You can also support good bacteria by incorporating certain foods into your diet. This includes eating foods like onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, raw asparagus, and dandelion greens; fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and fermented fish; and fermented dairy (yogurt and kefir).

Also, be sure your diet contains plenty of fiber since fiber contains prebiotics that help feed your healthy gut bacteria.