Food becomes more and more important in managing different diseases. This time I would like to share with you a discovered relation between food and multiple sclerosis (MS). It seems that including more foods containing oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid, in your diet may help in dealing with this devastating disease.

MS is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attackes healthy central nervous system cells. This attack results in vision loss, slurred speech, lack of coordination, dizziness and other destructive symptoms.

There are both genetic and environmental factors that can cause MS. According to a recent study, one of environmental factors is diet. More specifically, the lack of oleic acid in fat tissue. The researchers found that the lack of this acid leads to a loss of the sensors that activate T cells of the immune system to response to an infectious disease. As a result, the immune system can start to attack healthy central nervous system cells. However, once the levels of oleic acid are back to normal, the immune system returns to function normally.

More research is needed to determine whether a diet high in oleic acid alone is enough to weaken MS symptoms.

At this moment there is no RDA for oleic acid. Olive and other cooking oils, meat (such as beef, chicken, and pork), cheese, unrefined nuts and sunflower seeds, eggs, wholegrain pasta, milk, olives and avocados are the foods that will help you to get enough oleic acid in your diet.

Curious? HERE is the source