Fatigue caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) is among the most common symptoms of the disease and one that can take a serious toll on work and home life.The National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) estimates that 80 percent of people with MS experience fatigue, and a 2021 study revealed similar estimates internationally. After surveying patients with MS in Norway, researchers found that fatigue affected 81 percent of people, and they noted a higher prevalence of fatigue in women (83 percent) compared with men (78 percent). Their study also suggested that fatigue was more common in people with greater disability, depression, anxiety, and excessive sleepiness during the day.Often called “lassitude,” according to the NMSS, fatigue related to MS has unique effects on people with the condition:It happens every day and often comes on suddenly.It can affect you as you’re starting your day, even if you slept well the night before, and often gets worse as the day goes on.Heat and humidity can intensify fatigue.It’s often more severe than normal fatigue and can interfere with your ability to function throughout the day.Lassitude is an effect of demyelination, or damage that happens to the outer covering of your nerves when you have MS, says Mona Bostick, RDN, a nutritionist, certified MS specialist, and founder of the blog and private practice MSBites based in Greensboro, North Carolina. Bostick has been living with relapsing-remitting MS since 2008. “Demyelination makes the body work harder throughout the nervous system, thus producing fatigue,” she explains.And along with lassitude, secondary fatigue can heap another layer of exhaustion onto your daily routine, says Bostick, naming factors like suboptimal eating patterns as possible contributors to secondary fatigue.So, can sticking to healthy foods help bust MS fatigue? Though no diet has been proven to affect the course of MS, eating the right foods will give you your best shot at managing exhaustion.“I tell people to think of their body as an engine that MS has rendered less energy-efficient or effective,” explains Bostick. “Folks without MS start out with a tank full of energy every day. People with MS start out with only a gallon or two, and we run out of energy quicker, because MS has made our engine less energy-efficient.”And when it comes to making the most out of the energy you do have, “putting high-quality fuel in your tank” is key, Bostick adds.Exactly what should you eat or drink when you have MS-related fatigue? Here are seven fatigue-fighting ways to fuel your body.RELATED: Eye Complications Associated With Multiple Sclerosis