The One ‘Healthy’ Food That Made My MS Worse

I’ll never forget the flare that changed everything. Half of my face was paralyzed. My speech was slurred. I had double vision so bad that it was hard to walk. I looked like I’d had a stroke.

It was terrifying.

I was already on a disease-modifying therapy (DMT). Then my neurologist wanted me on a chemo drug. I didn’t want to start another drug. But I was worried about what would happen to me if I didn’t. I knew one thing for sure. The drugs were making me feel worse, not better.

That’s when I started searching the internet for another way. I wanted to manage my symptoms differently. I was desperate, scared, and frustrated. With one eye closed due to double vision, I searched for “How to heal MS naturally.”

And that’s when I found the power of food.

What I Found: A Diet for MS

The first thing I came across was the Swank Diet. It was one of the earliest diets created just for people with MS. I knew nothing about inflammation or healing foods back then. I was just looking for hope.

I went cold turkey overnight.

No more processed foods. No more fast food. The Swank diet did allow some dairy. But I started eating much better than I had been. A few months later, I switched diets again to the Best Bet Diet. It was a little stricter. This included cutting out dairy altogether. And something started to happen…

My symptoms slowly started to fade. This included my double vision.

The Turning Point: Choosing Food Over Fear

Even though I had started feeling better, I was still being pushed to continue chemo. After four rounds, I said no more. I didn’t like the risks. I was especially worried about the chance of heart damage.

Later that year, something unexpected happened. My health insurance got messed up, and I missed a month of my DMT. And guess what?

I felt great. At first, I thought it was because I was eating healthy. As soon as I went back on the DMT, that great feeling went away.

That was my turning point.

I decided to stop all MS drugs. I would manage my MS naturally with food and lifestyle changes. I don’t recommend this for everyone. It is a personal choice. Some people go all natural. Others eat and live healthy while staying on their DMT. It’s your choice.

I wasn’t making this decision lightly. I was already seeing the difference. But when I told my neurologist, he didn’t react well.

“Diet Doesn’t Work.”

That’s what he told me — flat-out. Then he started lecturing me. Not just me, but my husband too. He acted like I was being reckless. But my husband stood by me. He believed in me. He supported my decision to take control of my health.

I couldn’t help but wonder something. Why didn’t my doctor want me to feel better? Why did he dismiss something that was clearly working?

Click to find out: Can you guess which “healthy” food made my MS worse?

It was dairy. I had no idea there was a link between dairy and MS until I started feeling better after cutting it out. It didn’t matter if it was organic or low-fat — it was still hurting me.

The One Food That Shocked Me

When I switched to the Best Bet Diet, I found something even more eye-opening. That’s when I learned the truth about dairy and MS. Even though I hadn’t noticed a direct reaction to it, something changed. Once I cut it out, along with gluten, sugar, and processed foods, I started feeling better and better.

Later on, I read studies showing something important. A protein in cow’s milk (casein) can trigger the immune system. It makes it attack the myelin sheath — the exact thing MS destroys.

No wonder I had been feeling so awful.

Research is starting to uncover a strong link between dairy and MS. This 2022 study found that a protein in cow’s milk called casein may trigger immune responses that attack the myelin sheath, the same tissue affected in multiple sclerosis.

Why Doctors Don’t Talk About Dairy and MS

Most doctors aren’t trained in nutrition. They’re trained in medication. They often dismiss natural healing because there’s no prescription involved. But research is catching up. Studies now show that food affects inflammation, gut health, and immune response. All of these things impact MS.

Just because there isn’t an “MS Diet” that every neurologist agrees on doesn’t mean diet doesn’t work.

It does. I’m living proof. I’ve been managing my MS without drugs since 2005. My body isn’t perfect. I am getting older. But I’m not bedridden or in a wheelchair either.

So What Do I Eat Now?

These days, I still follow a clean, anti-inflammatory way of eating. My plate is full of:

• Leafy greens
• Cruciferous veggies like broccoli and cauliflower
• Berries and colorful fruits
• Ground flaxseeds for omega-3s
• Whole foods that heal, not hurt
• And definitely no dairy

Since dairy and MS don’t go well together, it helps to find easy swaps that still taste good and give your body the nutrients it needs. Here are some simple substitutions I use instead of dairy:

• Milk: Unsweetened almond milk, coconut milk, or hemp milk
• Cheese: Cashew-based cheese or nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor
• Butter: Avocado, olive oil, or coconut oil (depending on the dish)
• Yogurt: Coconut milk yogurt with no added sugar or gums
• Calcium: Load up on broccoli, leafy greens like kale and collard greens, chia seeds, and sesame seeds

You don’t have to give up comfort foods, just shift them in a way that helps your body heal.

If you would like to learn more about what I eat, check out my Nourish and Heal.

Getting Enough Calcium Without Dairy

One of the biggest worries people have about dairy and MS is calcium. You might be thinking, “If I stop eating dairy, where will I get my calcium?”

Good news! You can get plenty of calcium from other foods. In fact, many of these foods are better for your body than dairy.

Best Plant-Based Calcium Sources

Dark leafy greens are calcium stars. Try these:

• Kale (one cup has more calcium than milk!)
• Collard greens
• Bok choy
• Broccoli
• Turnip greens

Other great calcium foods:

• Canned salmon with bones
• Sardines
• Almonds and almond butter
• Sesame seeds and tahini
• Figs

Why These Foods Win

Here’s the thing about dairy and MS – dairy can cause inflammation in many people. But these calcium-rich foods actually fight inflammation. That’s a win-win for your bones and your MS.

Your body also absorbs calcium better from greens than from dairy. Plus, you get tons of other healing nutrients at the same time.

Easy Ways to Add More Calcium

• Add a handful of kale to your smoothies
• Snack on almonds
• Eat canned salmon for lunch
• Try sesame seed crackers
• Steam some broccoli with dinner

Remember, there’s a strong link between dairy and MS. When you remove dairy and your MS symptoms improve, you’re also giving your whole body, including your bones, a chance to heal.

The key is eating lots of vegetables every day. They’re your best friends for healing and strong bones.

Final Thoughts

The connection between dairy and MS is real. I just had to learn it the hard way. If you’re still eating something just because it’s labeled “healthy,” but you don’t feel better, trust your body. What works for one person might not work for you. Just because your doctor says diet won’t help doesn’t mean it’s true.

I believe food can be medicine. It saved me from a life I didn’t want.

So yes, dairy is one of the “healthy” foods that made my MS symptoms worse. But what changed everything?

I stopped waiting for someone else to fix me. I started healing myself.

💌 Get Your Dairy-Free Swaps for MS Healing (Free PDF)

Can’t find good replacements for dairy foods? This simple guide shows you swaps that taste great AND help your MS. No more wondering what to try – get the exact swaps that have helped hundreds of people with MS feel better while still enjoying good food.

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