multiple sclerosis

MS patients can be helped by lipoic acid

You gotta love the mainstream. If something works, it MUST be a drug, right?

They just can't bring themselves to admit that non-drug treatments can be better than meds -- so if you've seen headlines about a "new drug" discovery for multiple sclerosis, I've got news for you today.

It's NOT a drug!

It's not even new, for that matter.

It's a natural antioxidant called lipoic acid, an ordinary and inexpensive vitamin-like compound already known for its power to protect the nerves from the painful neuropathy that often strikes people battling diabetes.

In the new study, 27 patients with MS were given 1,200 mg per day of lipoic acid, also known as alpha lipoic acid or ALA. Another two dozen were given a placebo.

The folks who got the real supplements got some real benefits right where it's needed most: deep inside the brain.

MS is known to go after your gray matter, practically eating it up and causing atrophy, a.k.a. "brain shrink."

But the folks who got the real supplements had a 68 percent improvement in the shrink rate compared to those on the placebo.

That's what you can measure.

But what you can FEEL and SEE is just as important, and the supplement passed those real-world tests with flying colors: The folks who took it had fewer falls and faster walking speeds.

Now, it's one thing for a treatment -- whether it's a drug or a natural therapy -- to show a little improvement over the short haul.

It's quite another when you look at the big picture, because many promising treatments that deliver early on often fizzle out over time.

Not ALA.

This wasn't a short-term study. It lasted a full two years!

This might be the most encouraging news for MS patients in ages, especially when you consider that many folks with this disease have so few options.

Until now, the biggest "breakthrough" in recent years was a new drug that can cause dizziness, headaches, seizures, nausea, loss of muscle strength, headache, and more.

If those all sound like the symptoms of being poisoned, you've got the right idea -- that same "treatment" is actually a compound that's been used as bird poison!

ALA is the opposite of poison. In folks with diabetes, this same antioxidant can help prevent the nerve damage that leads to painful neuropathy and even help control blood sugar.

With benefits like that, you can bet Big Pharma is already hard at work cooking up a plan to create a synthetic version of this nutrient, slap a patent on it, and then jack up the price by several thousand percent.

Why bother?

You'll find ALA widely available in any decent vitamin shop, as well as online. Speak to your doc about adding this to your routine and what dose might be right for you.

Improve MS in just 19 minutes a day

When you’re battling the pain, fatigue and misery of multiple sclerosis, there are days when just getting out of bed is enough of a challenge – so going for a brisk walk or a bike ride, physical activity in general, might seem completely out of the question.

But give it a shot anyway.

You might find it gets easier once you get moving – and you might even find it hard to stop, because a little physical activity could help ease some of the worst symptoms of MS.

And as one new study shows, it doesn’t take much to enjoy the life-changing benefits.

Start with five minutes of light to moderate exercise – like biking, jogging or even a brisk walk – followed by two minutes of rest. Repeat the process two more times, and you’re done.

All told, that’s just 19 minutes, including plenty of time for rest.

Those little bursts of physical activity can lead to major improvements, including less MS-related fatigue and a better overall quality of life, according to the new study.

Sounds good, right?

Now let’s bring this up a notch and make it even better, because there are other natural ways to ease MS, limit or even eliminate attacks and improve your quality of life without touching drugs.

First, get a little more exercise and physical activity  if you can. While the study found that a six-week workout program like the one I just described has benefits that can last for up to nine months, I believe you’d see even bigger improvements if you continue to stay active.

Second, make sure you combine your exercise program with other natural approaches for MS such as vitamin B12 and omega-3 and gamma linoleic fatty acids. In some cases, fish oil alone can lead to major improvements. And, as I mentioned yesterday, vitamin D can often make a world of difference for many people.

And third, work closely with a doctor who can identify the cause of your MS – including food allergies, exposure to metals, imbalances of stress hormones and chronic infection.

In many cases, treating these causes can limit or even eliminate MS outbreaks.

For more on MS causes and the best natural solutions for it, see my book, “Prescription for Natural Cures.” You’ll find it online and at your favorite bookstore.