Diet and Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease in young and middle-aged adults, is one of the leading causes of non-traumatic disability in adults.

Diet is known to have an important role in the modulating inflammatory processes and influencing molecular pathways.

In this study the authors aims to examine the association of the inflammatory capacity of diet measured by DII with MS in Jordan.

This prevalent case-control study included participants of both sexes, aged between 20 and 60 years.

Controls tended to be taller, lighter, had a lower BMI, and had a lower smoking rate. After controlling for age, BMI, sex, and smoking status, there was a consistent increase in MS risk according to DII score, with a 10-fold increase in odds in quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 [ORquartile 4vs1 = 10.17 (95% CI: 6.88; 15.04)]. For each point increase in DII score, there was nearly a doubling of odds [OR1 = 1.75 (95% CI: 1.59; 1.92)]. Individual nutrients and food values aligned according to their contribution to the DII score calculations.

The findings of this study, obtained in MS patients with varied illness duration over the previous 3 years, are consistent with an association between the overall inflammatory potential of diet and MS odds.

Source: Front Nutr. 2023 Apr 5;10:1098883.