How Can Fasting Help With MS Symptoms

Research shows possible benefits of fasting—not eating anything or strictly limiting your food intake—for people with multiple sclerosis (MS), though the practice is not without controversy. MS is a disease in which the immune system damages the body’s central nervous system (CNS). This causes communication signals within the brain and between the brain and body to be interrupted.

This interference with the flow of information can cause various symptoms such as pain, fatigue, numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, blindness, and paralysis. MS symptoms will vary from person to person with MS and can range from only temporary to chronic.

Learn more about what intermittent fasting is, how it might be beneficial for people with MS, and its risks and contraindications.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Fasting has been used for cultural and religious reasons for centuries across the globe. More recently, intermittent fasting—an eating pattern in which you cycle between eating and abstaining from eating—has been covered in the mainstream media as a solution for weight loss.

This has consequently sparked a renewed interest in how it may benefit people with various medical conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis. 

There are different types of intermittent fasting.

Types

Types of intermittent fasting include:

• Time-restricted: This is probably the most common type of intermittent fasting. With this method, you have a set window of time during which you are allowed to eat each day. Ideally, your eating window should be around eight to 10 hours in the day, leaving 14 to 16 hours of fasting.
• 5:2: This involves eating as you normally would five days of the week, with the other two days restricting yourself to eating only 500 to 600 calories. You can choose which days to eat normally and which to limit your calories. For example, you might eat as usual on every day of the week except Sundays and Wednesdays, which would be your restricted/fasting days.
• Fasting-mimicking: This type of intermittent fasting imitates fasting by eating a very low-calorie diet for a few days, followed by your regular diet.
• Alternate-day fasting: This involves fasting or eating nothing every other day. On the other days you would eat as you normally would.
• Modified alternate-day fasting: You eat normally every other day. The other days would be your “fasting” days, consisting of roughly 25% of your calorie needs, or about 500 calories.

Why It Might Work for MS 

Researchers are exploring how intermittent fasting may impact MS. When the immune system attacks the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) in MS, inflammation results. The inflammation can cause damage to the protective coating around nerve fibers (myelin). This nerve damage results in MS-related symptoms.

Some researchers suggest that fasting and calorie restriction may alter the gut bacteria in people with MS. In turn, this might decrease inflammation and reduce the body's immune response to decrease or change it to no longer attack the central nervous system.

What Research Shows

Most studies investigating intermittent fasting’s effects on MS have been done on animal (mice) subjects.

A 2021 systematic review (summary of medical literature focused on one issue) of randomized clinical trials studied the possible benefits of intermittent fasting on obesity, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. The researchers concluded that there is not enough data available to draw definitive conclusions about people with multiple sclerosis. However, it does seem that intermittent fasting may be a safe and manageable complementary therapy.

Another review study looked at intermittent fasting on cognitive function and the possible effects on the prevention and progression of brain-related disorders, including MS, in both animals and humans. The researchers concluded that clinical studies show the benefits of intermittent fasting for MS on both disease symptoms and progression.

A small study of 31 people with MS researched the effects of different types of calorie restriction on weight and other outcomes. Participants were randomized to receive one of three diets for eight weeks, including:

• A daily 22% calorie reduction
• An intermittent 75% calorie-restricted diet for two days per week and 0% reduction the other five days of the week
• A weight-stable diet with a 0% reduction in calories.
  

At the end of the eight weeks, adherence to the daily calorie-restricted diet was higher than the intermittent calorie restriction. Thus, greater weight loss was seen in the daily calorie-restricted group—though both groups did achieve some weight loss.

Both calorie-restricted diets were associated with significant improvements in emotional well-being and depression scores compared to the weight-stable group.

Though this study didn’t look at specific MS-related symptoms or disease progression, it did show the benefit of intermittent fasting for emotional and mental health for people with MS.

Risks and Contraindications

While the benefits of intermittent fasting seem promising, it is not without risks and contraindications (reasons not to try it).

Possible side effects of fasting include:

• Hunger
• Weakness
• Dehydration
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Light-headedness
• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Mood changes
• Low blood sugar
• Low blood pressure
  

Intermittent fasting is not recommended for pregnant or lactating people, older adults who are weak, people at risk for eating disorders, or those who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system).

People with diabetes should talk with their healthcare provider before trying intermittent fasting, as it may be dangerous for them due to the increased chance of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). 

People with MS should talk with their healthcare provider or dietitian before beginning intermittent fasting to discuss any concerns and possible side effects, as well as to make sure all nutritional needs are met.

Summary

There are different types of intermittent fasting used today for various reasons, including to improve health. Recent research shows promising benefits of intermittent fasting on symptoms and disease progression in people with MS. It is suspected to help by balancing the bacteria in the gut, which may help decrease inflammation in the body.

Possible side effects of fasting include hunger, weakness, dehydration, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, poor mood, and low blood pressure. People with MS should discuss intermittent fasting with their healthcare provider before changing their diet.

A Word From Verywell 

MS can be unpredictable and frustrating. Early, small studies on intermittent fasting as a complementary therapy for people with MS are encouraging. Research is ongoing in this area, but it's promising.

In the meantime, continue to work with your healthcare team to ensure the best treatment plan for you. Always talk with your healthcare provider or dietitian before starting a new diet plan, including intermittent fasting.