Page 15 - 2021 Summer CMTA Report

Most people should eat almost half of type of fat is important: Saturated result in toxicity. Curcumin, on the
their daily calories in carbohydrates, and trans fats and Omega-6 fats other hand, has been shown to reduce
Kevern said, which supply energy to are more pro-inflammatory while inflammatory markers and is “definitely
muscles. The type and the amount are monounsaturated fats and Omega-3s worth a try,” she said. Creatine has
important—too many carbs or overly are anti-inflammatory. Healthy fats are also been shown to be pretty helpful
processed or refined carbs can make found in foods like fatty cold-water and worth investigating. She also
one tired. Carbs are found in three main fishes, avocado, walnuts, olive oil recommended probiotic foods like
food groups—starches and grains, fruits and flax, to name a few. kimchi, kefir and yogurt, but cautioned
and dairy products. Simple carbs are that it takes several weeks to get the
generally more processed and do not Micronutrients are vitamins and gut population healthy.
minerals. They don’t have calories,
contain fiber while complex carbs usual-
ly also have fiber, which is important for Kevern explained, and they are best Magnesium, which can help with both
cramping and sleep, is fairly easy to
when they come from food rather
slowing digestion, regular bowel move-
ments, heart health and colon health. than supplements because they then get from food like legumes, nuts and
interact with other components in our seeds, but people can definitely take a
Kevern doesn’t recommend a keto— food like phytonutrients. Essentially, supplement if they’re not eating a lot of
or low-carb—diet for CMT patients. It’s she said, “You really cannot out- those foods.
important to have adequate carbs for supplement a bad diet.” Supplements
your muscles, she said, and putting the don’t go through the Food and Drug Finally, Kevern said, avoiding chronic
diseases like heart disease, cancer
additional strain of a keto diet on the Administration’s approval process,
body is not optimal. Similarly, inter- so “even pill to pill in the same bottle and diabetes is also critically important
in helping optimize muscle health.
mittent fasting is not always a good can have different quantities of that
idea for someone with CMT, she said, vitamin.” She recommended only “There are so many reasons to take
care of your body, whether or not it’s
because fasting for more than 16 hours taking supplements that have gone
is “a long time to not be giving your through third-party testing. going to help your CMT. Optimizing
your nutrition and your overall health is
body energy.”
Kevern noted that while B vitamins going to make everything better in the
Fat is “super important for nerve play an important role in metabolism, long run.”
health,” Kevern said, noting that the B6 toxicity is possible and can actually
myelin sheaths surrounding nerves cause neuropathy. Generally, she said, Watch the complete video at
are about 70 percent fat. Again, the more than 200 milligrams a day can www.cmtausa.org/webinars.

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SUMMER 2021 THE CMTA REPORT