What Is MS
Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body mistakenly attacks itself. In Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord, leading to characteristic symptoms. Many people notice subtle changes in vision and coordination, as well as weakness or tingling limbs.
What Causes MS
There's no single cause that can be pinpointed behind autoimmune disease, but it's understood that many factors are likely at play, particularly a genetic predisposition plus environmental triggers and lifestyle factors (Lanzillo et al., 2026).
Functional and integrative medicine highlights three often modifiable drivers: a dysregulated immune system, an impaired ability of the myelin sheath to repair itself, and environmental burdens.
Multiple Sclerosis occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath—the protective covering of nerve fibers running along the spinal cord, brain, and optic nerve (which carries signals from the retina to the brain)—disrupting nerve signaling and leading to the brain, muscle, and vision symptoms often experienced.
Viral infections like the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) can trigger immune dysregulation through molecular mimicry, where EBV proteins resemble myelin proteins closely enough to prompt the immune system to attack its own tissue.
Gut imbalances and a compromised gut barrier can worsen this response, which may explain why certain food sensitivities, such as to dairy proteins, appear to be triggers for some people.
The nervous system can repair some damaged myelin through remyelination, but this requires adequate vitamin B12, vitamin D, and essential fatty acids. These nutrients are often insufficient in MS.
Who Is At Risk
While Multiple Sclerosis can affect anyone, it's more commonly diagnosed among young adults and women, who are nearly three times as likely as men to develop it.
Other risk factors include having a first-degree relative with MS, smoking, obesity, living at northern or southern latitudes, vitamin D deficiency, and a history of EBV infection (Feige et al., 2020).
What Are The Symptoms
Early symptoms typically include fatigue, muscle weakness or stiffness, brain fog, and numbness or tingling in the arms or legs. Some eventually experience trouble with coordination and balance, changes in vision, or bladder and bowel symptoms.
How Is MS Diagnosed
There's no single definitive test for Multiple Sclerosis, so it's often diagnosed by ruling out other conditions. The process generally involves a comprehensive medical history, neurological exam, MRI imaging to look for lesions on the brain and spinal cord, and sometimes a lumbar puncture.
Diagnosis follows the McDonald criteria, which require evidence of lesions in two or more distinct locations in the central nervous system occurring at different points in time.
How Is MS Treated With Regenerative Therapies
Conventional treatment centers on disease-modifying therapies—including medications like interferon-beta, glatiramer acetate, and glucocorticoids for managing flares—which can slow progression and reduce relapses.
However, they don't address the root factors driving immune dysregulation.
Regenerative and integrative approaches like the ones below offer meaningful complementary support alongside the conventional therapies.
Dietary Fat Quality in MS
Diet, particularly when it comes to fat intake, is one of the most interesting lifestyle components that has been studied in Multiple Sclerosis treatment.
The most well-known dietary intervention is called the “Swank Protocol”, developed by Dr. Roy Swank, which allows a maximum of 15g saturated fat per day while allowing fish and shellfish freely, skinless white-meat poultry, non-fat dairy, and eggs in moderation. Red meat is restricted for the first year, then allowed in small amounts.
A 34-year retrospective review of patients following said Swank Protocol found very different survival outcomes between those who followed his diet closely and those who didn’t, with mortality rates of 31% and 80%, respectively (Swank & Goodwin, 2003).
However, it’s important to note that the Swank study had several limitations: no randomization or control group, diet compliance was self-reported, and those who struggled to adhere were excluded from the outcome analysis. The patients lost to follow-up were disproportionately the sicker ones, which shapes misleading outcomes. Other systematic reviews that include this study say the evidence isn’t strong enough to make recommendations based on it.
More recently, the WAVES randomized controlled trial directly compared the Swank diet to the Wahls Elimination diet, a modified Paleo diet that includes red and organ meats, as well as saturated fat, while restricting grains, legumes, and seed oils (Wahls et al., 2021).
Over 24 weeks, those eating the Wahls diet reported feeling less fatigued and overall mentally and physically better than those on the Swank diet. A secondary analysis suggested that improvements were associated with metabolic variables, not fat type.
All of this leaves uncertainty around the mechanism at play, with more research still needed to understand the impacts of fat types in MS.
Gut Health
A healthy gut barrier is central to overall health and immune regulation, whereas dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiome), an overgrowth of Candida yeast, and certain food sensitivities may disrupt things.
Some of the best ways to support gut health include eating a variety of colorful plants and fermented foods, getting adequate, quality sleep, and having stress management practices in place.
Vitamin D
Research suggests that vitamin D status is correlated with MS incidence, especially when you look at where people live. Those living at higher latitudes, with less direct sun exposure, have much higher rates of MS (Feige et al., 2020).
Correcting a diagnosed vitamin D deficiency is a good idea, but it’s important not to go overboard with it. More isn’t always better. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the body and can build up over time.
Taking supplemental megadoses comes with the risk of toxicity, which is problematic in and of itself but can also mimic certain MS symptoms (Feige et al., 2020).
Instead, have your vitamin D levels checked by your healthcare provider and, should a deficiency be present, follow their personalized protocol.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
ALA is a fatty acid naturally produced in human and animal cells, particularly in the liver. It’s also found in foods like tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach, and available in supplemental form.
A meta-analysis of 5 randomized controlled trials found that 600 mg of ALA taken twice daily reduced disability scores in MS patients. This suggests that, used alongside conventional treatments, ALA supplementation might be a beneficial therapy (Rodrigues et al., 2025).
Physical Rehabilitation
A Cochrane overview of 164 randomized controlled trials found moderate evidence that physical therapy and rehab improve mobility, muscle strength, and quality of life in MS patients (Amatya et al., 2019).
Additionally, a network meta-analysis found that balance exercises and cognitive behavioral therapy—an effective form of talk therapy—have significant positive effects on MS-related fatigue (Harrison et al., 2021).
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are used in regenerative therapies because they’re capable of self-renewal and turning into various types of cells, including bone, fat, cartilage, and muscle cells.
Though still an emerging therapy, when used in MS, they’re meant to address the dysfunctional immune response as well as help repair cellular damage to the nervous system. A randomized controlled trial found that mesenchymal stem cell transplantation could significantly reduce the failure rate of treatments in progressive Multiple Sclerosis (Petrou et al., 2020).
Specifically, the authors found that those who received stem cells only saw a 6.7% failure rate compared to nearly a 42% failure rate among the control group. Overall, 58.6% of the patients who were treated saw no evidence of MS activity at the end of treatment.
Still, there are risks of stem cell therapy, such as infections, infestations, headaches, fever, and injection site reactions (Ucceli et al., 2021; Islam et al., 2023). Stem cells are not currently approved for MS treatment, and phase III confirmation trials are needed before it can be recommended.
What Are Possible Complications
Left untreated, Multiple Sclerosis can become progressive and debilitating. Ongoing immune attacks cause a decline in the regeneration of myelin, which lead to worsened coordination, muscle function, and bowel and bladder control.
Neurological damage can affect concentration, memory, and processing speed, and impaired immune function increases susceptibility to infections.
Eventually, Multiple Sclerosis can severely impact mobility or lead to partial or full paralysis.
Can MS Be Prevented
There's no surefire way to prevent MS, and some factors—particularly genetic ones—are outside of one's control.
Still, the following lifestyle practices may help reduce risk and slow progression (Napier et al., 2016; Seaton et al., 2023; Rondinella et al., 2025; von Drathen et al., 2024; Lanzillo et al., 2026):
Eating a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and fiber, while limiting ultra-processed foods
Engaging in regular, moderate exercise
Practicing stress management tools such as meditation, yoga, or journaling
Getting 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night
Staying socially connected
Avoiding alcohol and recreational drugs
Maintaining vitamin D levels carefully and avoiding megadose supplementation
Minimizing exposure to organic solvents, heavy metals, and environmental toxins
Putting these practices in place isn’t just helpful for potentially reducing MS risk and severity, but also for increasing your healthspan and overall resilience to disease.
Takeaway
Multiple Sclerosis is a serious condition, but it's not a hopeless one. Several factors involved in its development and progression are modifiable—including nutrition, gut health, and environmental exposures. When these drivers are addressed, the body has the capacity to improve.
The combination of conventional disease-modifying therapies, regenerative approaches, and healthy lifestyle habits can support remyelination, regulate immune function, and reduce relapse risk.
