The Biggest Cause of MS – Part 1

One of the hardest parts of living with multiple sclerosis (MS) isn’t just the symptoms. It’s being told that the cause is unknown and there is no cure.

What We Know, What We’re Told, and What Doesn’t Add Up

For decades, that has been the official position. MS is described as an inflammatory, autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The immune system is said to attack the myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers. Treatment focuses on suppressing immune activity in hopes of slowing progression.

And yet, after all these years, the root cause of MS remains officially “unknown.”

This series begins there.

Over the next several weeks, you will take a journey through what is widely accepted about MS, what the scientific literature actually shows, and why many people notice improvement when they address inflammation, gut health, and underlying triggers—even though the official explanation often feels incomplete.

Part 1 starts with common ground.

 

What Is Accepted About MS

There is strong agreement in the medical community on several key points:

• MS is an inflammatory disease.
• MS involves immune activation in the brain and spinal cord.
• Immune-suppressing drugs do not cure MS.
• The cause of MS remains officially unknown.
• Emerging research shows significant vascular dysfunction is involved in MS.

At Live Disease Free, there is agreement that inflammation and immune activity are real. Where the perspective begins to shift is in the question of why the immune system is active in the first place.

Is inflammation the cause of MS?

Or is inflammation a response to something else?

That question changes everything.

 

What People Living With MS Already Know

Long before diving into research papers, most people with MS recognize certain patterns from their own experience.

1. Gut Health Is Often Impaired

MS rarely if ever exists in isolation.

Many people report years of digestive issues before diagnosis, including:

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
• Chronic constipation or diarrhea
• Bloating
• Food sensitivities
• Inflammatory bowel disease

Scientific studies consistently document alterations in the gut microbiome in people with MS. Researchers have found measurable differences in gut bacteria compared to healthy controls.

MS patients don’t just have neurological symptoms. They often have gut symptoms as well.

That matters.

The gut and brain are connected through what is known as the gut–brain axis. When inflammation exists in the digestive system, it affects immune signaling throughout the body, including the nervous system.

 

2. Diet Clearly Affects Symptoms

Another lived truth: diet changes symptoms.

Many people with MS notice that:

• Sugar increases fatigue and worsens symptoms
• Refined carbohydrates increase inflammation
• Processed foods make mobility and energy worse
• Lower-carbohydrate and anti-inflammatory diets improve how they feel

If MS were purely genetic or random, diet would not make such a noticeable difference.

But it does.

Even neurologists often acknowledge that blood sugar swings and inflammatory foods can worsen symptoms. That tells us something important: lifestyle factors influence disease activity.

 

3. Stress Worsens MS

This is not controversial.

Across neurology, it is accepted that:

• Psychological stress can trigger relapses
• Stress hormones affect immune activation
• Chronic stress can accelerate progression

Stress does not create MS.

But it clearly activates whatever is driving it.

 

Commonly Recognized MS Triggers

People with MS often recognize specific triggers that make symptoms worse:

• Emotional stress
• Lack of sleep
• Illness or infection
• Antibiotic use
• Hormonal shifts
• Blood sugar swings

These triggers do not cause MS.

They amplify something that is already there.

And that leads to a deeper question:

What is the immune system responding to?

 

Inflammation: Cause or Response?

MS is described as a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. MRI scans track inflammatory lesions. Immune cells are active in the brain and spinal cord.

But inflammation exists in many diseases.

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to a problem.

There is a major difference between saying:

• “Inflammation is present,” and
• “Inflammation is the root cause.”

In many conditions, inflammation is the body attempting to contain damage or respond to injury.

So what might be triggering that response in MS?

 

MS Is Also a Vascular Disease

This is where research becomes especially interesting.

For decades, studies have shown that MS involves significant vascular dysfunction.

Findings include:

• Abnormalities in small veins and venules within MS lesions
• Endothelial dysfunction (damage to the lining of blood vessels)
• A leaky blood–brain barrier
• Altered venous blood flow
• Microbleeds near lesions
• Iron deposition around damaged areas

Radiologists now recognize what is called the central vein sign—the fact that most MS lesions form around a small blood vessel. This feature helps distinguish MS from other white matter diseases.

When a blood vessel consistently appears in the center of a lesion, that suggests the vessel is involved in how and where lesions form.

That is not random.

 

Early Vascular and Biochemical Markers

Research also shows that people with MS often exhibit:

• Early vascular aging
• Increased arterial stiffness
• Elevated homocysteine levels
• Increased endothelial microparticles (markers of blood vessel injury)

Homocysteine is known to damage blood vessel linings and increase oxidative stress. Endothelial microparticles are released when blood vessels are injured.

These vascular changes often appear before major neurological disability.

That suggests blood vessel stress may contribute to MS progression—not simply result from it.

 

What Might Lesions Represent?

Think of the blood–brain barrier as a security fence.

When blood vessels become damaged or leaky, that fence weakens. Substances that do not belong in the brain can cross over. The immune system then responds to contain what has entered.

The lesion seen on MRI may represent the containment zone—the body’s attempt to manage a problem that began at the vascular level.

Recent research on “broad rim lesions” shows that these lesions are associated with faster disability progression. They contain thick rims of immune cells and iron deposits, suggesting ongoing immune containment around damaged vessels.

That looks less like a random attack—and more like a response to injury.

 

Key Takeaways From Part 1

• Inflammation in MS is real.
• Immune activation is real.
• MS lesions form around blood vessels.
• Vascular changes often appear early.
• Gut health, diet, stress, and infections influence symptoms.

If immune activity is present, and triggers clearly worsen symptoms, the next logical question is unavoidable:

What is the immune system responding to?

 

What Comes Next

In Part 2 of this series, the focus shifts to a central issue:

Autoimmune or Something Else? Why the MS Model Doesn’t Fully Fit

If gut health matters, diet matters, stress matters, infections trigger flares, and vascular dysfunction appears early—what does that tell us about the bigger picture?

The journey begins with what is accepted. From there, it moves deeper.

Stay tuned for Part 2.

There are real solutions to recover from parasites today!

To restore health, we must focus on treating the cause of inflammation, which are parasites. First, identify the enemy (parasites), then support the body and treat the parasites while following a holistic approach. When parasitic infections are treated effectively, we can overcome inflammation or disease.

If you’re frustrated with the fact that our standard of care STILL doesn’t offer a real solution for treating MS and other diseases, then click on the link below to watch Pam Bartha’s free masterclass training and discover REAL solutions that have allowed Pam and many others to live free from MS and other diseases.

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