People with multiple sclerosis may suffer fewer symptoms if they eat a healthy diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
A study published in the latest online edition of Neurology claims there is evidence of a link between a reduction in MS symptoms and diet.
The research, led by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, examined responses to a questionnaire that was filled out by 6,989 people with all types of MS.
The participants were divided into five groups based on how healthy their diet was and they were also assessed on their lifestyle, looking at healthy weight, smoking and exercise.
Researchers established that those with the healthiest diet were 20% less likely to have more severe physical disability than people in the group with the least healthy diet.
The healthiest ate an average of 1.7 servings of whole grains per day, compared to 0.3 servings per day for those with the least healthy diet. The healthiest group also consumed an average of 3.3 fruits, vegetables, and legumes a day, compared to 1.7 servings that were eaten by the unhealthiest.
The researchers also found that people who were overall healthier were nearly 50% less likely to have depression, 30% less likely to have severe fatigue and more than 40% less likely to have pain than people whose lifestyle was not healthy.
Researcher Dr Kathryn Fitzgerald said: “People with MS often ask if there is anything they can do to delay or avoid disability, and many people want to know if their diet can play a role, but there have been few studies investigating this.
“While this study does not determine whether a healthy lifestyle reduces MS symptoms or whether having severe symptoms makes it harder for people to engage in a healthy lifestyle, it provides evidence for the link between the two.”
Neurology 6 December 2017 [abstract]
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