Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): The Application of Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT)

Abstract

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is considered a fatal motor neuron disease of unknown origin without a cure or efficacious treatment. ALS exhibits multiple pathways and systems of deterioration, such as muscle wasting, weight loss, hyper-metabolism, altered substrate utilization, impaired detoxification, oxidative stress, inflammation, immune dysfunction, mitochondrial damage, hormonal imbalance, glutamate excitotoxicity, blood-brain barrier breakdown, gastrointestinal, pulmonary, and hepatic dysfunction, and other metabolic changes. Persons with ALS (pALS) and healthcare practitioners are increasingly interested in how nutrition might help address this disease, as there is scientific documentation of ALS reversals. The conventional medical nutrition therapy (MNT) guidelines do not adequately address the individualized nutritional status of pALS, as they are primarily designed to prevent weight loss and address feeding difficulties. The problem is that standard MNT includes many toxic, processed, and high-sugar foods which may significantly worsen metabolic status and neuroinflammation. The metabolic dysregulation of pALS alters their caloric and nutrient requirements which might be therapeutically modified by targeted dietary and supplement protocols using Integrative and Functional Medical Nutrition Therapy (IFMNT). Dietary interventions are reviewed, including the Deanna Protocol, the ketogenic diet, and others. Specific nutritional supplements are reviewed, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, herbs, and other nutritional factors that may offer a targeted approach to metabolic dysregulation. This chapter explores the metabolic and nutritional consequences of ALS and reviews dietary and supplement approaches that might optimize ALS management or potentially support reversal through personalized nutritional assessment and the application of IFMNT.