What Is the Wahls Protocol?
The Wahls Protocol is based on the unique set of interventions that Dr. Wahls used to recover herself from symptoms of secondary progressive Multiple Sclerosis, in which she was only mobile with the aid of a reclining wheelchair. She was able to walk, bike, hike and ride horses after following her protocol for 18 months, and she continues to follow her protocol to this day.
She is likely most well known for her YouTube video of a TEDx talk that she gave in 2011 called Minding Your Mitochondria. As of the time that this post was written, the video had almost 37 million views. The inspiring message from it was that chronic disease doesn’t have to be permanent because there are numerous things – changing the diet being chief among them – that people can do to take back their health.
The protocol is Dr. Wahls’ method of achieving improvement of symptoms for almost all chronic health conditions by addressing root-cause issues. The protocol encompasses dietary interventions, exercise, e-stim (the use of a specific electronic device that causes muscles to contract) and lifestyle changes that lower the stress response.
In This Webinar
In this webinar, Dr. Wahls will help us answer the following questions:
- Why did you develop the Wahls Protocol?
- Who can this protocol help?
- What are the main pieces of the protocol?
- What are the defining features of the dietary part of the protocol:
- The Wahls Diet
- The Wahls Paleo Diet
- The Wahls Paleo Plus Diet
- The Wahls Elimination Diet
- Why are lifestyle changes also necessary?
- What kind of research have you done in the past?
- What research are you conducting these days?
Please note that you will be asked to provide your email address at the 30-minute mark to continue viewing the replay.
About Terry Wahls MD
Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa where she conducts clinical trials.
She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day.
She conducts clinical trials that test the effect of nutrition and lifestyle interventions to treat MS and other progressive health problems. Learn more about Dr. Wahls’ clinical trials here. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens.
She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions. You can find out more about her at her website https://terrywahls.com/
Disclaimer
This webinar is not a substitute for medical advice, treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a medical professional. It is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on to make determinations related to treatment of a medical condition. Epidemic Answers has not verified and does not guaranty the accuracy of the information provided in this webinar.
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Sources & References
Bahr, L.S., et al. Ketogenic diet and fasting diet as Nutritional Approaches in Multiple Sclerosis (NAMS): protocol of a randomized controlled study. Trials. 2020 Jan 2;21(1):3.
Bisht, B., et al. Multimodal intervention improves fatigue and quality of life in subjects with progressive multiple sclerosis: a pilot study. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2015;5:19-35.
Bourre, J.M. Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 1: micronutrients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep-Oct;10(5):377-85.
Bourre, J.M. Effects of nutrients (in food) on the structure and function of the nervous system: update on dietary requirements for brain. Part 2 : macronutrients. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Sep-Oct;10(5):386-99.
Brenton, J.N., et al. Phase II study of ketogenic diets in relapsing multiple sclerosis: safety, tolerability and potential clinical benefits. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2022 Jun;93(6):637-644.
Brenton, J.N., et al. Pilot study of a ketogenic diet in relapsing-remitting MS. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2019 Apr 12;6(4):e565.
Camara-Lemarroy, C.R., et al. Focus on the gut-brain axis: Multiple sclerosis, the intestinal barrier and the microbiome. World J Gastroenterol. 2018 Oct 7;24(37):4217-4223.
Chenard, C.A., et al. Nutrient Composition Comparison between a Modified Paleolithic Diet for Multiple Sclerosis and the Recommended Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern. Nutrients. 2019 Mar 1;11(3):537.
Di Majo, D., et al. Ketogenic and Modified Mediterranean Diet as a Tool to Counteract Neuroinflammation in Multiple Sclerosis: Nutritional Suggestions. Nutrients. 2022 Jun 8;14(12):2384.
Engelenburg, H.J., et al. Multiple sclerosis and the microbiota: Progress in understanding the contribution of the gut microbiome to disease. Evol Med Public Health. 2022 Jun 13;10(1):277-294.
Fan, Y., et al. Dietary Modulation of Intestinal Microbiota: Future Opportunities in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis and Multiple Sclerosis. Front Microbiol. 2019 Apr 16;10:740.
Fettig, N.M., et al. Direct and indirect effects of microbiota-derived metabolites on neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis. Microbes Infect. 2021 Jul-Aug;23(6-7):104814.
Irish, A.K., et al. Randomized control trial evaluation of a modified Paleolithic dietary intervention in the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a pilot study. Degener Neurol Neuromuscul Dis. 2017 Jan 4;7:1-18.
Jayasinghe, M., et al. The Role of Diet and Gut Microbiome in Multiple Sclerosis. Cureus. 2022 Sep 9;14(9):e28975.
Martinelli, V., et al. Gut-oriented interventions in patients with multiple sclerosis: fact or fiction? Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 Feb;26(3):935-946.
Melbye, P., et al. Short-chain fatty acids and gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis. Acta Neurol Scand. 2019 Mar;139(3):208-219.
Titcomb, T.J., et al. Change in Micronutrient Intake among People with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis Adapting the Swank and Wahls Diets: An Analysis of Weighed Food Records. Nutrients. 2021 Oct 5;13(10):3507.
Titcomb, T.J., et al. Eating Pattern and Nutritional Risks among People with Multiple Sclerosis Following a Modified Paleolithic Diet. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 20;12(6):1844.
Wahls, T.L. Dietary Approaches to Treating Multiple Sclerosis-Related Symptoms. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2022 Aug;33(3):605-620.
Wahls, T.L., et al. Dietary approaches to treat MS-related fatigue: comparing the modified Paleolithic (Wahls Elimination) and low saturated fat (Swank) diets on perceived fatigue in persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.Trials. 2018 Jun 4;19(1):309.
Wahls, T.L., et al. Impact of the Swank and Wahls elimination dietary interventions on fatigue and quality of life in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: The WAVES randomized parallel-arm clinical trial. Mult Scler J Exp Transl Clin. 2021 Jul 31;7(3):20552173211035399.
Wahls, T.L., et al. Review of Two Popular Eating Plans within the Multiple Sclerosis Community: Low Saturated Fat and Modified Paleolithic. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 7;11(2):352.
Wang, X., et al. Role of Gut Microbiota in Multiple Sclerosis and Potential Therapeutic Implications. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2022;20(7):1413-1426.
Resources
Books
Wahls, Terry. The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. Avery, 2020.
Wahls, Terry. The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions. Avery, 2017.
