updated 4/02
I had a tentative phone call from a woman whom I'd met a couple of times telling me about Roger MacDougall. He had adopted a gluten-free diet, also cutting out sugar and dairy. The phone call came at the right time -- I was about ready to try almost anything, I would have eaten shredded notebooks if it would help. I'd read something about gluten being a problem before, so I was fertile ground for these ideas..
One person's anecdotal evidence is dangerous. But there are other people who've investigated or tried the non-gluten path: Betty Iams and Ashton Embry probably most notable. His reasoning is sound: if Dr Swank achieves improvements through diet (low fat) surely there's more to this diet thing? Judy Graham reports on Roger MacDougall in her 1989 book (although I personally find her book difficult to follow because it makes a lot of contradictory observations - confusing to a confused anyway MSer).
Gluten (found mostly in wheat but also barley, rye and possibly oats) gives problems to more people than perhaps you'd expect, with either sensitivity, intolerance, allergy or celiac disease.
For me, there was immediate improvement: I did not feel as heavy after meals (especially lunch where I used to have a baguette), my nose was less congested. And I think other symptoms have ameliorated although I'm prepared to accept that this might be a little bit of imagination.
MacDougall says he was out of his wheelchair in four years. I can but try, I've got the time.
© Australian Philosophical Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge 1998
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