First, a person must have a high intake of dietary methanol via pectin-rich fruits. All ripe fruits contain some pectin, but it is most abundant in apples, plums, red currants, gooseberries, and cranberries. Not Enough Folic Acid Folic acid may help, according to Schwyzer, by helping the body break down the methanol. The B vitamin is abundant in leafy green vegetables. The hypothesis may also partially explain why pregnant women with MS sometimes improve temporarily.
Most women usually get folic supplements as part of their prenatal care.
Physicians have known for years that pregnancy can suppress some types of immune responses, such as allergies. So, Henzi placed two female MS patients on a diet restricting their sugar intake and including folic acid supplements. These two patients avoided a flare-up of MS symptoms before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy, and for six months after delivery. Within 9-12 months the chronic fatigue disappears and the patient is on the way to becoming a benign case of MS in permanent remission. But it's not a temporary diet.