Older adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) whose eating habits resemble a Mediterranean diet tend to have less disability and better quality of life, a study found. The findings suggest the Mediterranean diet is a “promising nutritional intervention to slow down disease progression of MS and to minimize disease-related symptoms…

Elderly adults with multiple sclerosis (MS) who adhere more to a Mediterranean diet tend to have less severe disability and fewer mental health, sleep, and cognitive problems, according to a new study. “This study has provided evidence that adopting [a Mediterranean diet] at higher levels was associated with lower…

Following a Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of cognitive problems, including with memory and thinking skills, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study suggests. The diet includes a high intake of fish, fruits, legumes, vegetables, and healthy fats (olive oil); and a low intake of meat,…

Here are a few multiple sclerosis (MS) stories that caught my eye last week: Can nabiximols ease MS spasticity? In “4 Weeks of Nabiximols Found to Ease Spasticity in MS Pilot Study,” Margarida Maia reports some potentially good news for people with MS spasticity. Nabiximols, marketed in…

High adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with a lower risk of disability outcomes, as well as reported disease symptoms, in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study shows. The data provide important information for further studies to guide clinical recommendations in MS. The study, “Mediterranean…

Pilot Study Is Testing Whether Mediterranean Diet Can Help MS Patients There’s been a good deal of news recently about the possibility that bacteria in our stomachs have an impact on our MS. There’s also been talk, for a long time, about whether certain diets can improve…

New York researchers are doing a pilot study of whether a Mediterranean diet can reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life.  Dr. Ilana B. Katz Sand, an assistant professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, is leading…

A higher intake of whole grain food is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of developing pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study led by researchers in Canada. Conversely, an overall more pro-inflammatory diet — one containing higher amounts of fats and proteins — was linked to increased…

Adhering to a low-fat diet for three months was found to significantly ease fatigue among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to data from a pilot clinical trial. The diet, which restricted total fat intake to less than 20% of calories per day, had a good adherence. Unlike other…

The Swank and Wahls diets — two dietary strategies often adopted by people with multiple sclerosis (MS) — were similarly effective at easing functional disability after six months among people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), according to data from a small clinical trial. These functional gains were mostly driven…

An anti-inflammatory diet combined with synbiotic supplements eased fatigue, pain, sexual dysfunction, and bladder and bowel problems in people with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) in a small clinical trial. Synbiotics contain probiotics, healthy bacteria for the gut, and prebiotics, or plant fibers that feed probiotics and help…

What a person eats in childhood can influence their future risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) and its clinical course, according to a recent Dutch study. A poor diet with more fast food, snacks, and candy as a child tended to be associated with a higher risk of developing…

Welcome to “MS News Notes,” a weekly Monday morning column where I comment on multiple sclerosis (MS) news stories that caught my eye last week. Here’s a look at what’s been happening: Tysabri biosimilar on the horizon Tysabri (natalizumab) is a very effective disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for…

Blood Stem Cell Transplant May Help Immune System Longer I’m a proponent of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (aHSCT) to treat MS. The process entails extracting a patient’s own stem cells, usually from the bone marrow, treating them to kill immune cells that trigger MS attacks, and then infusing…

MIND Diet May Protect Brain Tissue in MS The Mediterranean Diet is one of several diets that proponents believe slow their MS progression and in some cases help to improve some symptoms. However, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society says that “evidence of effectiveness [of any MS diet] is…

A higher adherence to the MIND diet – short for Mediterranean-Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension Intervention (DASH) for Neurodegenerative Delay – may protect brain tissue from further damage in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), new research suggests. In particular, consuming more high-fat dairy products was associated with a lower…

Editor’s note: The Multiple Sclerosis News Today news team is providing in-depth and unparalleled coverage of the virtual ACTRIMS Forum 2021, Feb. 25–27. Go here to see the latest stories from the conference. Reducing the essential amino acid methionine in the diet lessened multiple sclerosis (MS)-like symptoms in a mouse model of…

What science has told us about how diet might influence a person’s risk of multiple sclerosis and a patient’s disease course was the topic of discussion at a recent MS conference. Ellen Mowry, MD, a researcher and professor of neurology at John Hopkins, also reviewed some of the dietary…

There are lots of so-called “MS diets” out there, each one claiming to ease the difficulties of living with MS. This, despite the fact that neurologists don’t often address nutrition when discussing disease management with their patients. Why is diet so rarely discussed by medical practitioners? And why hasn’t there…

Supplementation with coconut oil and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea extract, in combination with a Mediterranean-style diet, was associated with improvements in balance and gait in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Those were the findings of a small pilot study in Spain, which also found that all participants,…

Leading a healthy cognitive and physically active lifestyle, including having a normal body weight and well-controlled blood pressure, may increase brain reserve — the brain’s ability to adapt after damage — and delay disability progression in multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study. The study, “Lifestyle factors…

Erin Stevenson’s doctor laughed when she asked him 13 years ago if the vertigo she felt while training for a first 100-mile bike ride could be related to her mother’s multiple sclerosis (MS). MS isn’t a genetic disease, but Stevenson managed to persuade the doctor to schedule a brain…

Eating a lot of green leafy and other vegetables, beans, nuts and berries seems to significantly lower the likelihood of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study from Iran. The findings also suggest that the chances of developing the disease may be higher in people who eat more…

New research in mice suggests that poor recycling of cholesterol in the brain impairs the repair of myelin, the protective coat surrounding nerve cells that is lost in multiple sclerosis (MS). Pharmacological stimulation of cholesterol synthesis by brain immune cells — called microglia — boosted the regeneration of myelin,…

Lately, much of my work has been focused on the relationship between the gut and MS. As I experience ongoing gut issues, I need to learn how to advocate for myself by learning as much as I can about gut bacteria and finding the right…

Eating fish once a week, or one to three times per month along with taking daily fish oil supplements, may help lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a preliminary study shows. These findings suggest that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish like salmon, tuna and shrimp may…

Throughout 2023, Multiple Sclerosis News Today brought consistent coverage to our readers of the latest scientific research, developments in treatment, and clinical trials for multiple sclerosis (MS). Here is a list of the top 10 most-read stories we published last year, along with a brief description. We look…

Supplementation with coconut oil and the green tea component epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) significantly reduces the levels of fatty molecules called triglycerides in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a pilot study from Spain. This reduction may complement improvements in functional capacity that have been reported previously following…

When I first met Stephanie in March, she was like any healthy 28-year-old coming in to see me for a nutrition consult. Her positive attitude and bright smile filled the room as she told me about her job as a grade school teacher and the new apartment she…