> I think I have read that the incidence of MS goes up as you move
> north or south from the equator.  Not sure, but I think it was in
> one of Barry Sears' books.  Possibly the Eades.

"Throughout most of the two million years of human development, humans had a
relatively high intake of vitamin D (~5000-10,000 IU/day) from the sun.
Major environmental changes brought on by the agricultural, industrial and
technological revolutions have resulted in large populations in northern
climates experiencing a subclinical and chronic vitamin D deficiency and
this deficiency is more pronounced in persons with MS. Vitamin D deficiency
is just one of a number of nutrient-related factors which play a role in MS.
Notably the dietary regimens which contain the most pro-inflammatory food
types (e.g. gluten, dairy, saturated fat) and the least anti-inflammatory
nutrients ( vitamin D, omega 3 fats) occur in areas in which MS and other
autoimmune diseases are most common. To combat MS, a person must change
their lifestyle with diet revision being perhaps the most useful
modification. As part of this change, it is important to ensure that
sufficient vitamin D (4000 IU/day) is acquired through sun exposure and
supplements."
www.direct-ms.org/vitamind.html

The following excerpts are from the Protein Power LifePlan (Eades, 2000):

" Epidemiologists have shown, for example, that multiple sclerosis occurs
much more commonly in areas where the populations rely primarily on wheat
and rye, and much less frequently in regions that depend on other staples
grains (such as rice, corn, and millet).  And to take the hypothesis back
considerably further, paleopathologists (scientists studying diseases of
ancient populations) tell that these autoimmune disorders do not seem to
have plagued humans prior to the adoption of an agricultural way of life.
In fact, paleopathological researchers have been able to track the
appearance of rheumatoid arthritis - which leaves its characteristic
fingerprints on the bones that remain - as it follows the spread of wheat
and maize cultivation around the globe.  Prior to the adoption of these
grains as food, there is not evidence of rheumatoid arthritis in the fossil
record; after their introduction, rheumatoid arthritis appears.  It's at the
very least a case of guilt by association.

Interestingly, many cases of inflammatory or autoimmune arthritis also
involve inflammation of the intestine. And here's the rub: Which came first?
Research seems to indicate that the development of a leaky gut that would
expose the immune system to look-alike molecules (whether plant lectins,
bacteria, or viruses) may be the instigating event for the development of
these diseases in genetically or physically susceptible people."
p 145

" The brain is only part of the nervous system, and essential fats play
crucial roles in other areas as well.  Most important, fat makes up more
than three-quarters of the insulating tissue - called the myelin sheath -
that covers and protects all nerve fibers.  Patches of loss of this sheath -
bare areas, if you will - are the hallmark of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Studies of people suffering from MS document an increased rate of
depression, hardly a surprising correlation given the frustrating nature of
their disorder.  But what's more to the point, from a fat perspective many
of them have low levels of DHA in their tissues, which, as you've already
seen, also appears to correlate with depression.  So perhaps the two
disorders are linked, both being manifestations of a DHA (and possible
cholesterol) deficiency.

In the development of MS, an oversimplified explanatory scenario could go
something like this: low levels of these essential fats in the tissues
(perhaps from birth) lead to less raw material for nerve-sheath maintenance,
which leads to potholes in the nerve's insulation, which leads to
short-circuitry of nerve-function.  The circumstantial evidence connecting
MS and essential-fat deficiency is pretty strong.  For example, there's
evidence to suggest that MS arises more often in adults who were fed with
DHA-deficient cow's milk or formula instead of breast milk.  Also, the
disease occurs less commonly in geographic locations where fish comprise a
substantial part of the diet.  Furthermore, there's a fair amount of empiric
clinical data to support the use of supplemental essential fats in the
treatment of MS.  Do we believe that eating a diet higher in essential fats
will cure MS?  No, its probably not that simple, and certainly the data thus
far aren't totally convincing, but the intake of good amounts of essential
fats is important for so many aspects of health, that we think everyone
should make a conscious effort to increase dietary sources.  And people
suffering from MS might be doubly advised to learn to love sardines."
p 264 - 265

Rob