Episode 428: The Effects of Smoking, Consuming Alcohol, and Consuming Caffeine on Your MS with Dr. Barbara Giesser

As researchers continue to learn about MS, it becomes clear that you can change the trajectory of your MS journey and improve your quality of life by making smart lifestyle choices. Quitting smoking and watching your alcohol and caffeine consumption are smart choices for everyone, and they can pay especially big dividends if you're living with MS. This week, Dr. Barbara Giesser discusses how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine can impact your MS. We're also sharing the details about the Black MS Experience Summit taking place on November 12th, and the Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit taking place on November 19th. We'll tell you about a study that revealed what may be a novel way of stimulating remyelination. You'll meet Dr. Arman Eshaghi and hear about how artificial intelligence may impact your future MRI exam. We'll share study results that show that carbohydrate consumption may increase the risk of an individual developing MS. And we'll tell you about a study that looked at the connection between starting a disease-modifying therapy early and quality of life related to cognitive function and fatigue. We have a lot to talk about! Are you ready for RealTalk MS??! This Week: What you need to know about how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine impact your MS  :22 The Black MS Experience Summit is TOMORROW!  1:32 The National MS Society is hosting the Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit on Nov 19th  2:33 Study results indicate the path to myelin repair may require subtraction, not addition  3:04 Dr. Arman Eshaghi discusses how AI may change how MRI scans are interpreted  5:12 Study results show a connection between carbohydrate intake and MS risk  15:10 Study results show how starting a DMT early impacts quality of life related to cognitive function and fatigue among people with MS  17:55 Dr. Barbara Giesser discusses how smoking, consuming alcohol, and consuming caffeine impact people living with MS  21:38 Share this episode  31:07 Next week's episode  31:27 SHARE THIS EPISODE OF REALTALK MS Just copy this link & paste it into your text or email: https://realtalkms.com/428 ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE CONVERSATION I've always thought about the RealTalk MS podcast as a conversation. And this is your opportunity to join the conversation by sharing your feedback, questions, and suggestions for topics that we can discuss in future podcast episodes. Please shoot me an email or call the RealTalk MS Listener Hotline and share your thoughts! Email: [email protected] Phone: (310) 526-2283 And don't forget to join us in the RealTalk MS Facebook group! LINKS If your podcast app doesn't allow you to click on these links, you'll find them in the show notes in the RealTalk MS app or at www.RealTalkMS.com PARTICIPATE: Take the Shaping Tomorrow Together Online Survey https://s.alchemer.com/s3/Perspectives-on-MS SIGN UP: Become an MS Activist https://nationalmssociety.org/advocacy WATCH: The RealTalk MS ECTRIMS Extra Conversations video playlist on YouTube https://realtalkms.com/ectrims2025 STUDY: Gt2fi-Encoded Transcription Factor Tfii-i Regulates Myelin Via Sox10 and Mbp Regulatory Elements https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63500-4 STUDY: Association Between Dietary Carbohydrate Intake and Multiple Sclerosis Risk: A Large-Scale Cohort Study https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1654538/full STUDY: Self-Reported Quality of Life Related to Cognitive Function and Fatigue in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211034825005516 REGISTER: The Black MS Experience Summit https://nationalmssociety.org/resources/get-support/education-programs-and-library/black-ms-experience REGISTER: The Hispanic LatinX MS Experience Summit https://nationalmssociety.org/resources/get-support/education-programs-and-library/hispanic-latinx-ms-experience JOIN: The RealTalk MS Facebook Group https://facebook.com/groups/realtalkms REVIEW: Give RealTalk MS a rating and review http://www.realtalkms.com/review Follow RealTalk MS on Twitter, @RealTalkMS_jon, and subscribe to our newsletter at our website, RealTalkMS.com. RealTalk MS Episode 428 Guests: Dr. Arman Eshaghi, Dr. Barbara Giesser Privacy Policy