CCSVI (chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency) is a congenital condition found in a significant percentage of the population in which the veins which drain the blood from the brain are malformed. Because of this malformation which exists at birth, the blood backs up in the brain, a condition called hypofusion. Hypofusion can cause the death of olidendrocytes (cells that make the myelin) and the breakdown of myelin, both of which are part of the disease process of MS. As I had written before, as Dr. Roy Swank always maintained, MS is also a vascular disease as well as an autoimmune disease, a degenerative disease, an inflammatory disease.
Now it has been found that 55% of MS people and 25% of healthy people have CCSVI, so in itself CCSVI is not the cause of MS. But, as we have said repeatedly, there is no smoking gun for MS, it is multi-causal. This fact would suggest that in itself CCSVI is not a big deal, though it should be researched if CCSVI has a higher incidence in other neurological diseases. However, it may be a contribution factor in MS for a significant percent of the MS population. There is some evidence that the co-occurrence does hasten disability and contribute to MS.
What does this mean for the diet approach to MS? If you go back to DR. Swank’s work where he postulated that one of the main factors in the breakdown of the Blood Brain Barrier is saturated fat, then the diet’s recommendation for a very reduced saturated fat intake is right on. So is the suggestion that ingestion of the Essential Fatty Acids, the healthy oils, be increased supported. Eating a lot of anti-oxidant rich foods, like the darkly colored fruits and vegetables, will help prevent the destruction of the vein walls. A good intake of minerals, supplied by fruits, vegetables and safe grains and reduced consumption of sugars is also good for general health. The MS Recovery Diet is very good for cardiovascular health, as you all know as your cholesterol numbers have decreased on the diet, which by extension would mean it is good for anyone with CCSVI as co-occuring with your MS.
MS continues to confound science and medicine. No theory has proven to stand up to scrutiny as yet. Fortunately, the diet is not based on theory but on empirical results achieved by many people. I have stated that we have found the diet does not work as well for everyone, one person whose recovery was not complete found that they have mercury poisoning, so there may be other diseases that also co-occur with MS. There is so much that needs to be researched with an open mind that is not overly attached to any one theory.