Lower inflammation naturally

Try-at-home diet and lifestyle tweaks to help give inflammation the heave-ho

Inflammation is vital for the body – our immune system kicks into action to protect us from outside invaders on a daily basis. But too much inflammation is the enemy of autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Here, experts offer advice on how to reduce it naturally.

Diet

“The starting point of targeting inflammation would be with an anti-inflammatory diet,” says Libby Linford, nutritional therapy practitioner, registered nutritionist and functional medicine practitioner (surreycentrefornutrition.com).

“There are varying degrees of restriction when it comes to anti-inflammatory dietary protocols which may be helpful for someone with MS, the most basic of which would be the removal of key inflammatory triggers including sugar, refined carbohydrates, alcohol, processed foods, trans fats and some seed oils.

“However, when you suffer with autoimmunity you could take this one step further with the removal of both gluten and dairy. These diets also require the addition of antiinflammatory foods such as healthy fats and oils, quality protein, a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices. It’s as much about what you put in as what you take out.

“Other diets which can be considered in addressing autoimmunity such as MS include the autoimmune paleo diet which aims to remove all potential inflammatory foods, including the above, but also all grains, eggs, nightshade vegetables, legumes, and caffeine. You would follow a period of restriction before a re-introductory phase.

“This is the most restrictive approach, and it is not without its risks in that it can lead to a loss of tolerance, which is your body’s ability to tolerate the foods you eat, and so is not a long-term approach, but can help to identify trigger foods.

“The Wahls protocol is another option for those with MS and although very similar to the AIP diet it has a greater focus on the inclusion of therapeutic foods and three degrees of restriction.

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to the best antiinflammatory diet for MS, and the best approach should be personalised and decided upon with a functional medicine practitioner. They may decide to run food reactivity screening to pinpoint any specific foods which are exacerbating inflammatory processes ”

Exercise

Exercise offers a host of benefits, and is beneficial however mobile you are.

“A recent review suggests exercise is a therapeutic tool to counteract inflammation for the management of MS,” says Eleonora Sansoni, a cranial osteopath, nutritional therapist and Pilates instructor and co-founder of the Wellthy Clinic (wellthyclinic.com). “Exercise was shown to increase muscle strength, function and mobility, aerobic capacity and it also improved self-reported quality of life and fatigue scores. The study suggested exercise could also have indirect effects with other organs (the liver, intestines and pancreas). Skeletal muscle communicates with other organs by secreting proteins called myokines, which are thought to induce antiinflammatory responses with each bout of exercise. Therefore, contrary to past fears that physical activity might aggravate inflammatory pathways, exercise is now believed to be a potential treatment for patients with rheumatic diseases.”

Finding what’s right for you is key. “The most important factor to consider is finding an exercise regime that works for the person that is safe and that allows consistent training over a long period of time,” says Eleonora. “Low-impact, overall strengthening and stretching and balance are all key components for a functional exercise and are also the main fundamentals of Pilates. One study suggested Pilates improved walking performance and functional ability with patients with MS.”

If you’re able to, a daily walk outside can do wonders to boost the mood, and one study found a 20 minute walk helps stimulate the cells that lower inflammation.

Manage stress

Chronic stress leads to inflammation in the body, so whatever you can do to avoid it will help – not just in terms of MS, but other health issues such as cardiovascular disease.

Certain stresses cannot be avoided, but our response to them can be better managed. This is where activities such as yoga can be particularly beneficial. Yoga incorporates the anti-inflammatory benefits of exercise with relaxation techniques to beat stress.

Practices such as meditation and mindfulness are evidencebacked stress busters, too. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce activity in the brain’s amygdala, which effectively switches off your stress response.

Did you know at MS-UK we have online activities for you to join in with, such as mindfulness courses, exercise and chair yoga sessions which are bound to help you find your zen? Visit ms-uk.org/online-activities