Multiple Sclerosis

In one small trial, people with MS were given approximately 20 grams of fish oil in capsules per day.⁵ After one to four months, 42% of these people received slight but significant benefits, including reduced urinary incontinence and improved eyesight. However, a longer double-blind trial involving over 300 people with MS found that half this amount of fish oil given per day did not help.^[REF] In another trial, combining fish oil supplementation (6 grams per day) with a low-fat diet (15% of total calories) appeared to reduce the relapse rate in people with the relapsing-remitting form of MS.⁶ However, a double-blind study found that supplementing with the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil (1,350 mg of EPA and 850 mg of DHA per day) for two years had no effect on disease activity or relapse rate in people with relapsing-remitting MS.⁷

In a small preliminary trial, people with MS were given 20 grams of cod liver oil, as well as approximately 680 mg of magnesium and 1,100 mg of calcium per day in the form of dolomite tablets.⁸ After one year, the average number of MS attacks decreased significantly for each person. Unlike fish oil capsules, the cod liver oil in this trial contained not only eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but 5,000 IU of vitamin D. Therefore, it is not known whether the vitamin D or fatty acids were responsible for the cod liver oil’s effects. (One preliminary study found that giving vitamin D-like drugs to animals with MS was helpful.)⁹ It is also possible that the magnesium and/or calcium given to these people reduced MS attacks. Magnesium¹⁰ and calcium¹¹ levels have been reported to be lower in the nerve tissue of people with MS compared with healthy people.

A commercial herbal product called Padma Basic was given to 100 people with MS.¹² After taking two pills three times per day, 44% of these people experienced increased muscle strength and general overall improvement. The composition of Padma Basic is based on a traditional Tibetan herbal formula.

Caution: Calcium supplements should be avoided by prostate cancer patients.

In a small preliminary trial, people with MS were given 20 grams of cod liver oil, as well as approximately 680 mg of magnesium and 1,100 mg of calcium per day in the form of dolomite tablets.¹³ After one year, the average number of MS attacks decreased significantly for each person. Unlike fish oil capsules, the cod liver oil in this trial contained not only eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but 5,000 IU of vitamin D. Therefore, it is not known whether the vitamin D or fatty acids were responsible for the cod liver oil’s effects. (One preliminary study found that giving vitamin D-like drugs to animals with MS was helpful.)¹⁴ It is also possible that the magnesium and/or calcium given to these people reduced MS attacks. Magnesium¹⁵ and calcium¹⁶ levels have been reported to be lower in the nerve tissue of people with MS compared with healthy people.

The omega-6 fatty acids, found in such oils as evening primrose oil (EPO) and sunflower seed oil, also may be beneficial. When people with MS were given 4 grams of EPO for three weeks, their hand grip improved.¹⁸ In a review of three double-blind trials, two of the trials reported that linoleic acid reduced the severity and length of relapses.¹⁹ When the data were re-examined, it was found that taking linoleic acid decreased disability due to MS in all three trials. According to these researchers, taking linoleic acid while following a diet low in animal fat and high in polyunsaturated fat may be even more beneficial. Amounts used in these trials were approximately 17 to 23 grams of linoleic acid per day, provided by 26 to 35 grams of sunflower seed oil.

Inflammation of nerve tissue is partly responsible for the breakdown of myelin in people with MS. When intravenous injections of a constituent of Ginkgo biloba, known as ginkgolide B, were given to people with MS for five days, 80% of them reportedly improved.²⁰ This specialized treatment is experimental, and it is not known whether oral use of ginkgo extracts would have a similar effect.

Inosine is a precursor to uric acid, a compound that occurs naturally in the body. Uric acid is believed to block the effect of a toxic free-radical compound (peroxynitrite) that may play a role in the development of multiple sclerosis.²¹ In an attempt to raise uric acid levels, ten patients with MS were treated with inosine in amounts up to 3 grams per day for 46 weeks. Three of the ten treated patients showed some evidence of improved function and the others remained stable.²¹ Controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.

In a small preliminary trial, people with MS were given 20 grams of cod liver oil, as well as approximately 680 mg of magnesium and 1,100 mg of calcium per day in the form of dolomite tablets.²² After one year, the average number of MS attacks decreased significantly for each person. Unlike fish oil capsules, the cod liver oil in this trial contained not only eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), but 5,000 IU of vitamin D. Therefore, it is not known whether the vitamin D or fatty acids were responsible for the cod liver oil’s effects. (One preliminary study found that giving vitamin D-like drugs to animals with MS was helpful.)²³ It is also possible that the magnesium and/or calcium given to these people reduced MS attacks. Magnesium²⁴ and calcium²⁵ levels have been reported to be lower in the nerve tissue of people with MS compared with healthy people.

Deficiency of thiamine (vitamin B1) may contribute to nerve damage.²⁶ Many years ago, researchers found that injecting thiamine²⁷ into the spinal cord or using intravenous thiamine combined with niacin²⁸ in people with MS led to a reduction in symptoms. Using injectable vitamins requires medical supervision. No research has yet studied the effects of oral supplementation with B vitamins in people with MS.

In a preliminary trial, treatment with very large amounts of vitamin D (more than 10,000 IU per day) was associated with a decrease in the number of relapses in patients with MS; however, the decrease was not statistically significant.³³ In a double-blind study of patients with MS, a large amount of vitamin D (approximately 10,000 IU per day), when compared with a moderate amount (1,000 IU per day), resulted in a significant increase in the relapse rate and in the degree of disability.³⁴ Based on the available evidence, large amounts of vitamin D cannot be recommended as a treatment for MS. Additional research is needed to determine whether moderate amounts of vitamin D would be beneficial.