Swank Diet For Multiple Sclerosis: Is It Really Helpful?

Diets have been very popular to treat various health problems and reducing effect of diseases. Multiple sclerosis is also a serious disorder that occurs in the brain and spinal cord. Due to this disease, the person in unable to communicate with body organs, causing permanent damage to the nerves present in the body. Eventually this disease affects many body functions and makes a person disabled, if treatment is not provided. Diet can also help in controlling the symptoms and improving nervous response. Hence swank diet is given in order to reduce the risk of these diseases. 

How Can Swank Diet Affect Multiple Sclerosis?

According to expert Ms. Pooja Bhandari, Clinical Nutrition from Ivory Hospital, Greater Noida, swank diet reduces the risk factors that could impact the nervous response. Swank diet is a very old compilation of different variety of food that enables people to restrict themselves to diet that is beneficial for their neurons and brain cells. It is a low fat diet that was developed in 1987 to increase the effectiveness of treatment of multiple sclerosis. Swank diet includes fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, grains and fish. Let us check what you can have in this diet plan in detail.

Swank Diet For Multiple Sclerosis Nutrients

1. Take Almost No Fats

In diet recommended for multiple sclerosis, you need to have minimal fats in your food consumption. There should not be coconut oils and palm oils as they are high in saturated fat which is not good for people suffering from this disease. Instead you need to take plant based oils such as olive oil, canola oil, soyabean oil and flax seed oil. 

• No more than 15 grams of saturated fats are allowed
• Unsaturated fats can be taken in average number around 20-50 grams in a day.
• Have nuts, peanut butter and seeds for consumption of unsaturated fats.
• Do not have normal butter or hydrogenated oils that contain high saturated or trans fat.

2. Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are healthy for people and there is almost no restriction on general fruits and vegetables in your diet. People having multiple sclerosis can have fruits twice in a day and different vegetables for proper balanced nutrition. However one should avoid having fruits or vegetables that contain more fats. You can still have avocados and olives as they are very health for nervous problems.

3. Meats and Poultry

Meat and poultry are usually restricted in the first year of multiple sclerosis treatment. After that red meat and pork should be avoided, rest of things can be taken in moderation. People having chicken or any other alternative in their diet should try to balance it out by balancing it with other types of food. You specially need to avoid any type of dark poultry meat and processed products of the poultry.

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4. Have more fish

Fish is very healthy for your body functions, blood and brain. Hence there is no limit to eat fish until they are regulated in total number of calories. Fish is recommended by nutritionist to lower the symptoms of multiple sclerosis and provide healthy nutrition to the muscles in the body. You should avoid high cholesterol levels and should limit your daily consumption of other meat if you are taking it.

5. Dairy and Eggs

According to swank diet you can have maximum of 1 egg in a day. This is too meet daily demands of protein in the body which is very crucial apart from this. There is no restriction on non-fat cottage cheese, and fat free cheese. Other dairy products need to be taken in moderation and should avoid too much of milk. Also while eating egg, take out the yolk as it contains saturated fat which should only be taken once in three weeks.

6. Grain Products

Grains are very important for development of central nervous system and treating multiple sclerosis. In swank diet you can take around 4 servings of grain products daily. You can have bread, low fat cereals, rice, pasta and certain snacks which are otherwise avoided. It is better to avoid baked goods such as cakes, pastries, biscuits and such snacks.

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Is Swank Diet Good for Treating Multiple Sclerosis?

According to our nutritionist, you may consider swank diet as a safe option in ongoing treatment for multiple sclerosis but it is not the only diet. Swank diet was discovered long back, and since then many things have changed, studies have evolved which can give more appropriate diet for this condition. 

Swank diet is healthy for patients for multiple sclerosis because it contains low fats and higher balance of vitamins and proteins. Swank diet focuses on eating less than 20 grams of saturated fats throughout the day and rest having everything in moderation. However this diet has a high dropout rate that means people are unable to continue with the diet as most of the food does contain more than necessary saturated fats. Hence Ms. Pooja Bhandari recommends opting for Paleo Diet if not swank diet.

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