Multiple Sclerosis News TodayDiet Shows No Association with Relapses, Disability Progression

A high-quality diet was defined as low in saturated fat and processed meats, and high in vegetables, fruit, nuts, and fish.

A recent Australian study has explored the relationship between dietary quality and multiple sclerosis (MS), finding that a higher quality diet can reduce specific types of brain lesions. However, the study did not identify any association between diet and the risk of MS relapses or disability progression. This research adds to the understanding of the complex effects of diet on MS but also highlights the need for further investigation.

Key Points:

• The study included 190 people diagnosed with MS, followed for 10 years.
• Patients with better Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) scores had significantly less lesion volume in the periventricular region of the brain.
• The overall risk of relapses was 43% lower for patients with higher ARFS scores.
• No significant associations were found between diet and relapses, disability progression, or actively inflamed lesions.

Additional Points:

• Two standardized measures were used to assess dietary quality: ARFS and Diet Quality Tracker (DQT).
• DQT scores showed no association with periventricular lesions.
• The researchers acknowledged the inherent difficulty in quantifying diet and noted that MRI might be a more sensitive indicator of disease activity.

Conclusion:

• Although the study found a link between higher dietary quality and reduced brain lesions in MS patients, it did not establish a connection with relapses or disability progression. More research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between diet and MS.

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