MS Symptoms Are Lessened With a Healthy Diet

A healthy lifestyle and diet were associated with less disability and symptom burden among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a recent study.

The study included 6989 participants with physician-diagnosed MS who completed a dietary screener questionnaire and were part of the North American Research Committee on MS (NARCOMS) Registry. Questionnaires were used to assess the consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, added sugars, and red and processed meats. An overall diet quality score was created for each individual based on the listed food groups, with higher scores indicating a healthier diet.
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Using proportional odds models that adjusted for age, sex, income, smoking status, disease duration, and body mass index, the researchers analyzed the association between diet quality and disability status. In addition, they examined whether symptom severity was associated with nonsmoking status, a composite healthy lifestyle, healthier diet, healthy weight, and routine physical activity.

Overall, participants with the highest diet quality scores had the lowest levels of disability and lowest depression scores. Additionally, participants with a composite healthy lifestyle were less likely to report severe fatigue, depression, pain, or cognitive impairment.

“Our large cross-sectional survey suggests a healthy diet and a composite healthy lifestyle are associated with lesser disability and symptom burden in MS,” the researchers concluded.

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Fitzgerald KC, Tyry T, Salter A, et al. Diet quality is associated with disability and symptom severity in multiple sclerosis [published online December 6, 2017]. Neurology. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000004768.