Know Multiple Sclerosis

hi please bere with me on this i was dx with m.s in 97. i have the type that doesn't go in to remission. and its scary. i'm starting on a new med, copaxone i sure could use some advice, on the med and what to watch for. plus i would love to beable to find some chat rooms for people like us. if anyone has a chatroom for m.s i would be so happy to get the names. thank you diane

Yes, I still read all the time. I love this site. The no. 1 thing for me is purley the fact that I have other people in the same situation as me. Going through same situations and life experiences that relate to MS. Don't get me wrong my family and husband have been GREAT, but nothing is better than someone else who is going through the same thing. Keep up the great work and I think you have a great idea. Allowing others to submit stuff gives many different perspectives. Great work.
Jeanette

I got this article from an MS website called ms20something, and thought it was interesting. I know I will be running out to the store and start eating celery and green pepper daily :)

• Plant compound in celery and green peppers found to reduce inflammation

Journal Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2008 May 27 Volume 105 no. 21, pages 7534-9.
Authors: Jang S, Kelley KW, Johnson RW.
Title: Luteolin reduces IL-6 production in microglia by inhibiting JNK
phosphorylation and activation of AP-1.
Place of Report:

Early research has shown that a plant compound found in abundance in
celery and green peppers may be able to disrupt a key component of the
inflammatory response in the brain.

Inflammation is a critical part of the body's immune response that in
normal circumstances reduces injury and promotes healing. MS is an
autoimmune condition. It is caused by the immune system mistaking the
body's own tissue in the brain and spinal cord (central nervous
system) as foreign and attacking it.

The new study investigated a plant compound called luteolin which is
known to impede the inflammatory response in several types of cells
outside the central nervous system (CNS). The purpose of the study was
to determine if luteolin could also reduce inflammation in the brain.

Inflamed brain cells that were exposed to luteolin showed a
significantly diminished inflammatory response compared to those which
weren't. Luteolin was shown to shut down production of a key chemical
messenger in the inflammatory process called interleukin- 6 (IL-6).
Luteolin exposure resulted in as much as a 90 per cent drop in IL-6
production in the inflamed cells.

To test the effects of luteolin further the researchers gave mice
luteolin-laced drinking water for 21 days before injecting the mice
with inflammation causing agents.

Those mice that were fed luteolin had significantly lower levels of
IL-6 in their blood four hours after injection. Though these studies
are at an early stage, they suggest a possible role for luteolin or
other bioactive compounds in treating inflammation in the CNS.
Like everyone else, people with MS can benefit from a healthy diet. It
is important to remember that you can usually get all the nutrients
you need through a healthy well-balanced diet including plenty of
fruit and vegetables.

Key Points

• A plant compound called luteolin found in abundance in celery and
green peppers may be able to disrupt a key component of the
inflammatory response in the brain.

• Inflamed brain cells that were exposed to luteolin showed a
significantly diminished inflammatory response compared to those which
weren't.

• Luteolin was shown to be shutting down production of a key chemical
messenger in the inflammatory process called interleukin- 6 (IL-6)

• Mice that were fed luteolin had significantly lower levels of IL-6
in their blood four hours after injection.

People with MS can benefit from a healthy diet. It is important to
remember that you can usually get all the nutrients you need through a
healthy well-balanced diet including plenty of fruit and vegetables.
(No link for this one)