Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is also known as the Lou Gehrig’s disease that affects the neuromuscular system of the body. As the disease progresses, certain changes are felt by the patient such as the growing inability to chew or swallow the food and losing the desire to eat. This should be properly taken care of, as people who are diagnosed with ALS require adequate nutrition.

ALS often leads to malnutrition, which can result further towards depression. Therefore, an aggressive nutritional intervention is crucial for ALS patients. There are specific food variants and supplements that provide a therapeutic value to the person suffering from ALS. Take a look at them below:

The ALS Diet

An effective ALS diet needs to remove all types of processed food items including artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives at first. In order to delay the onset of ALS, you have to strip away all the dietary stresses that harm your healing procedure. Secondly, add nutritional supplements that have antioxidant properties to your ALS diet. Some of the essential food items in your ALS diet should include:

• High antioxidant fruits and vegetables: Antioxidant helps in converting super oxygen and free radicals into less harmful molecules along with providing support to your body’s functions. You can incorporate antioxidant-rich fruits into your diets such as cranberries, wild blueberries, blackberries, and Goji berries. Vegetables also offer detoxification of oxygen like fruits. Spinach, red beans or kidney beans are a wonderful source of antioxidants.
• Quality protein and fat sources: Organic protein food sources are critical during amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Consume free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, lamb, pecans, lentils, cashews, and other protein food items. Healthy fat seems to be effective for ALS patients in healing their body. Coconut oil, cultured butter, avocado are great sources of healthy fats.

Best ALS Supplements

Muscle loss needs to be controlled in ALS patients, and only a balanced ALS diet is not enough. Your body needs B-complex or vitamin B12 for doing that which you can get in the form of supplements. It should be followed with vitamin C and E that regulates the glutamate levels in the body. These vitamins slow down the causes of nerve deaths and strengthen the connective tissue. Also, your body must work to remove the toxins by processing the heavy metals. This can be achieved by replenishing the calcium and magnesium levels in the body.

Zinc is believed to prevent the death of motor neurons according to some studies. However, zinc supplements require being inhibited by copper elements for stabilizing the ALS symptoms. One of the best ways to get rid of inflammation in the body is by consuming fish oil that has rich Omega-3. It repairs brain health and improves your immune system.

Concluding Thoughts

It can be overwhelming after learning that you are suffering from ALS, but that does not mean that you will give up on a healthy life. Of course, it can be difficult to restore your complete nervous system, but the aforementioned ALS diet and supplements can help in slowing down the neuron degeneration and improve symptoms.