Native Americans, Beans and Atypical MS

[Mimosa]

Two doctors I've had -one who was also part native American with Southern roots- had told me about atypical multiple sclerosis. One doctor (who'd also been a lover) himself didn't have it, never had it, but had learned at Columbia medical School about Native Americans having a kind of MS like fibromyalgia which manifests with attacks of pain in cross body bands of pain. Tonight I just had a very severe attack which woke me up. It happened after my dinner of big silky large lima beans (called butter beans in the South). The last time I had a similar attack -six months ago- I had also cooked a pot of yummy large 'butter beans'(called 'limas').

My doctor pal, the Sicilian, had two years ago sent me some link about beans triggering MS attacks. I didn't even want to believe him because I love beans as much as many native Americans. But apparently there's an enzyme in certain beans which can trigger MS type attacks. Brown or red beans and lentils don't launch the reaction with me as much as white beans and chick peas.

I posted this to share information after having had a severe painful 'band' (across the upper body) MS attack. Last night I'd cooked a big pot of butter beans, andouille sausage. The side dishes were kale, rice and buttermilk cornbread muffins. Those side dishes don't cause attacks. Greens never bother me.

[ThomCat]

1. Interesting.

As someone with a diet heavy in beans, and a chronic pain patient, I'd be interested in learning more if you get any information or links.

I'll mention this to my pain management doctor this month to see if he's ever heard anything. He's always surprising me with his knowledge on every possible topic related to pain conditions, medications, and treatments. If he hasn't heard or read something, he may know another specialist who has.

[Mimosa]

2. Thomcat, here's a link

http://www.fibromyalgia-diet.ws/avoid.html

And next I'll give you a whole google search.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw=1343&bih=570&gbv=2&q=fibromyalgia+and+beans&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw

The sad thing about this is that I love good slow simmered silky beans. :(

[ThomCat]

3. One of those links says that beans are GOOD for people with Fibro.

Beans – These are some beans that are really helpful for you.

* Lentils
* Pinto beans
* Kidney beans
* Black beans
* Garbanzo beans
http://diet.ygoy.com/diet-for-fibromyalgia/

Another says to avoid basically everything that breaks down into a high sugar food. Essentially, go on the same diet someone diabetic. No fruits, no carbs, no to the same beans that the other site says are good for you.

http://www.fibromyalgia-diet.ws/avoid.html

one site lists processed and junk foods, but the only health food it suggests eliminating is citrus foods. Other than that, it says to keep a journal and see what you are eating to consider what to Add.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2138337_change-diet-help-fibromyalgia-suffers.html

this site loves beans, except soy/tofu, and almost every other food too too. The foods they don't like are raw vegetables, which they say are too hard to digest, and anything with yeast in it. That's the only place I see breads being so bad. Citrus is again a bad thing. And mushrooms.

http://www.ctds.info/fibro-food.html

So, overall, I am seeing recommendations all over the place that really conflict with each other. But I am not seeing any research citations on any of these sites to back up any of these recommendations. I don't see where anyone has done any real study of how diet affects people with pain. This is people posting their hunches and opinions.

If people were accidentally all posting hunches and opinions that lined up somehow, that would be useful. That would tell us something. But if the hunches and opinions are all over the map, then it's a good guess that nobody really knows anything conclusive without some real research.