The Wahls Protocol

February 15, 2014

Physician and professor (medicine, Univ. of Iowa) Wahls was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2000, when she was in her mid-40s. Despite aggressive medical therapy, her decline progressed rapidly; by 2004, she required a special wheelchair. Her neurologist steered her toward a charity website that focused on the link between diet and MS. She took the diet and recommendations further, developing her own regimen. Now she is able to walk and cycle and has dramatically improved. Wahls describes her protocol, beginning with a discussion of cells and cellular health; her diet (based on the paleo program, low in carbohydrates and sugars but also gluten- and dairy-free) and what she calls a Paleo Plus diet (which adds seaweed and organ meat and more raw, soaked, and fermented foods); and environmental and other factors. Meal plans, nutrient comparison tables, and patient endorsements are included, as are citations of many pertinent articles from peer-reviewed medical journals. Her first clinical trial is now in its prepublication stage; she has applied for funding to conduct further study. VERDICT MS can be a perplexing and devastating disease, and Wahls's protocol may be worth considering, with appropriate medical supervision and medication.--Marcia G. Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Lib., Hanover, NH

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