Dietary Approaches to Treat Multiple Sclerosis-Related Fatigue Study

Prior treatment

• Treatment for a cancer (other than skin cancer) currently or in the prior 12 months
• Participation in another research study that involves multiple sclerosis or other medications, diet, supplement, exercise or other treatments

Other illness

• Diagnosis of heart failure, liver cirrhosis, angina, history of kidney stones, psychiatric disease likely to make adherence to the study interventions more difficult including eating disorders, but excluding depression and anxiety
• Moderate to severe mental impairment as measured by the Short Portable Mental Status questionnaire

Other

• Taking insulin or Coumadin
• Relapse within past 12 weeks
• Body Mass Index less than 19
• Inability to shop for and prepare home cooked meals by the subject or a companion
• Unwillingness to eat meat
• Inability to keep food records with sufficient detail to asses dietary intake or complete study questionnaires
• Unwilling to have blood drawn
• Pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next year

• Willing to allow your neurologist to sign a letter confirming multiple sclerosis diagnosis and criteria used in diagnosis
• Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis as documented by the McDonald Criteria confirmed by their treating neurologist
• Fatigue as documented by a Fatigue Severity Scale score of greater than or equal to 4
• Between the ages of 18 and 70
• Body Mass Index greater than or equal to 19
• Ability to shop for and prepare or have someone in the family shop for and prepare home cooked meals according to study diet guidelines
• Willingness to keep detailed food records
• Willing to eat a diet that includes more vegetables and excludes many comfort foods such as those made with white flour,
• Willing to eat a diet that eliminates red meat (beef, pork, lamb, veal) and saturated fats (butter, coconut oil, margarine, hydrogenated oils found in processed foods) to 1 tablespoon per day
• Must not be pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next year
• Willing to eat meat (eg, chicken, turkey, fish)
• Willingness to follow either the Wahls Elimination diet or the Swank diet
• Individuals who have had gastric bypass surgery have obtained a signed statement from their physician indicating they are weight stable and a suitable candidate for this study
• Normal or mild cognitive impairment as measured by the Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire
• Willing to have blood drawn
• Be able to walk 25 feet without support, or with only unilateral support (i.e. cane in one hand)