Could Diet Reverse the Course of MS? Dr. Terry Wahls' Remarkable Recovery
Author: Dr. Mark Hyman
June 17, 2026
Duration: 1:14:34
We’ve been taught to treat chronic diseases as isolated problems to be diagnosed and managed. But these conditions may have more in common than conventional medicine has traditionally recognized.
On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I’m joined by physician and researcher Dr. Terry Wahls, who transformed her understanding of disease after developing progressive multiple sclerosis. We discuss the emerging science behind mitochondria, inflammation, nutrition, the microbiome, and why creating health may be just as important as treating disease itself.
We explore:
What Dr. Wahls discovered about cellular health while searching for answers beyond conventional treatment
Why mitochondria may play a central role in conditions like MS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, depression, and chronic fatigue
How food, sleep, movement, and stress directly influence inflammation, energy production, and brain health
Why focusing only on symptom suppression may overlook the deeper biological dysfunction driving chronic disease
What “creating health” actually looks like in practice—and how small daily habits can influence how you feel and function over time
What makes this conversation so compelling is that Dr. Wahls’ story challenges many of the assumptions we have about chronic disease and recovery. For me, it really highlights how profoundly nutrition, sleep, movement, and stress can shape the body’s ability to adapt and recover over time.
View Show Notes From This Episode
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(0:00) Dr. Terry Wahls’ illness journey, Dr. Mark Hyman’s intro, and sponsor mentions
(2:54) Dr. Wahls and Dr. Hyman discuss their medical histories
(4:00) Dr. Wahls’ experience with multiple sclerosis
(7:08) Dietary changes and physical improvements
(9:09) Environmental factors in autoimmune diseases
(11:17) Resistance in the medical system to new approaches
(12:26) Integrating basic science into clinical practice
(15:32) Mitochondrial support supplements
(20:24) Mitochondria’s role in energy-intensive tissues
(22:11) Functional medicine and Dr. Wahls’ continued health journey
(23:49) Nutrient-focused dietary approach and recovery
(26:13) Development and application of the Wahls diet
(27:35) Nutrient-rich food categories and health benefits
(30:11) NIH funding and functional medicine research potential
(34:00) Success stories from the therapeutic lifestyle clinic
(39:28) Creating health versus treating disease
(44:10) Expanding research to other chronic illnesses
(45:40) Latest clinical trials and future research directions
(47:49) Advances in chronic disease treatment science
(49:05) Predicting diet effectiveness: microbiome and genetics
(50:00) Microbiome research and multiple sclerosis
(51:18) A new theory of human biology in medicine
(53:01) Creating health through lifestyle changes
(55:13) Need for multimodal interventions in research
(58:20) Funding challenges and philanthropy’s role
(59:08) Comprehensive approaches to complex diseases
(1:01:05) Potential to reverse genetic diseases with lifestyle changes
(1:07:24) Strategies for creating a healthy human
(1:08:01) Upcoming research and initiatives by Dr. Wahls
