Terry Wahls on Treating Multiple Sclerosis Using Paleo Principles
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Terry Wahls will discuss a promising approach to treating MS and other autoimmune conditions using a "paleo plus" diet. Terry is a professor of clinical medicine at the University of Iowa and has developed a dietary framework for recovery from MS based on her own experience and recovery from the disease. This approach is summarized in her book, The Wahls Protocol.
I first saw Terry give an inspirational talk at the Ancestral Health Symposium at Harvard in 2012. Since then, she has given TED talks and lectured around the world. She has refined her protocol, which has now been tested in several clinical trials. The diet is based on Paleo Principles and functional medicine concepts supported by research. It can be customized based on individual needs and has helped individuals with a variety of autoimmune conditions, not just MS.
Here is a guide to topics discussed in this podcast episode:
Time Topic
1:22 Terry's personal MS story
3:18 Self-experiments with supplements to support mitochondria
10:00 Designing a nutrient-dense paleo diet with functional medicine principles
14:00 Electrical stimulation of muscles
16:15 Terry's dramatic recovery from MS
23:00 Causes of multiple sclerosis: genetics, infections, leaky gut, toxins & stressors
25:15 Other autoimmune diseases
29:40 Dietary influences on aging and cognitive decline
33:13 Diet essentials: Vegetables: green leafy, sulfur-rich, deeply-colored
35:45 Diet essentials: Meat, fish, organ meats
39:00 Options for people with food aversions or affordability challenges
44:00 Terry's on-line course for the Wahls protocol
44:45 Diet studies and clinical trials
47:18 Neurology journal meta-analysis of 8 diets for MS patients. (See references below).
51:50 Adverse initial reception by medical societies and challenges getting funded
57:21 Reappraisal and funding by the MS Society
59:39 Adapting the Wahls protocol to dietary variations
1:02:20 Recruiting participants for a new 2-year clinical trial comparing different diets
You can follow Terry Wahls at:
Links to studies and other references mentioned in the podcast:
Online wellness program:
Online Wahls protocol course:
Network meta-analysis and editorial:
Treating MS using paleo principles