Shedding light on diet in MS to improve disease outcomes

Summary

The link between diet and MS is unclear, and available information is contradictory, confusing, and not always based on evidence. This research program will provide new knowledge on diet and MS progression, along with dietary education tailored for people with MS. People with MS will then be able to make informed decisions about their diet, including food choices and supplement use, to gain better health and wellness outcomes.

The impact of this research could be substantial, since making dietary changes is a modifiable lifestyle factor and something people with MS can easily implement in their daily lives.

Progress to Date

Using data from the AusLong Study, Professor Lucinda Black and her team investigated whether there were links between relapses in MS and following a Mediterranean diet, eating ultra-processed foods, dairy products or fish. They also interviewed people with MS, carers who assist with meal preparation and MS nurses about their experiences and views on diet.

Professor Black and her team have found that positive language appears to improve people’s motivation to make health dietary changes and to engage with evidence-based nutrition resources. They also found that better diet quality is linked with reduced levels of one type of MS inflammation and that a pro-inflammatory diet (a diet that promotes inflammation in the body) was linked with higher chances of relapse. The team also found that a pro-inflammatory diet was linked with higher levels of depression and anxiety over time in people with MS.

Over the next year, Professor Black and her team will analyse data on the attitudes and behaviours regarding diet among people with MS, carers and health professionals. They will also test the links between diet and the progression of MS.

Publications

Mannino A, Daly A, Dunlop E, Probst Y, Ponsonby AL, van der Mei I, Ausimmune Investigator Group, Black LJ (2023) Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased likelihood of central nervous system demyelination in a case-control study of Australian adults. Eur J Clin Nutr. May; 77(5):611-614

Dieu R, Dunlop E, Daly A, Lucas RM, Probst Y, Ausimmune Investigator Group, Black LJ (2022) Total dairy consumption is not associated with likelihood of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination. Front Neurol 13:888559

Saul A, Taylor BV, Blizzard L, Simpson-Yap S, Oddy WH, Probst YC, Black LJ, Ponsonby AL, Broadley SA, Lechner-Scott J, Ausimmune/AusLong Investigator Group, van der Mei (2022) Associations between diet quality and depression, anxiety, and fatigue in multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord 63:103910

Russell R, Black LJ, Begley A (2022) Nutrition education programs for adults with neurological diseases are lacking: a scoping review Nutrients 14(8):1577

Saul A, Taylor BV, Blizzard L, Simpson-Yap S, Probst Y, Black LJ, Ponsonby AL, Broadley SA, Lechner-Scott J, Ausimmune/AusLong Investigators Group, van der Mei I (2023) Long-term dietary acid load is associated with depression in multiple sclerosis, but with less evidence for fatigue and anxiety. Mult Scler Relat Disord. Jan; 69:104415

Qu X, Walsh E, Cherubin N, Black LJ (2022) Mapping the Literature on Diet and Multiple Sclerosis: A Data-Driven Approach. Nutrients. Nov; 14(22):4820

Saul A, Taylor BV, Blizzard L, Simpson-Yap S, Oddy, WH, Probst YA, Black LJ, Ponsonby AL, Broadley SA, Lechner-Scott J, Ausimmune/AusLong Investigator Group, van der Mei I (2023) Higher dietary quality is prospectively associated with lower MRI FLAIR lesion volume but not with the hazard of relapse, change in disability or black hole volume in people with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Scle Relat Disord (78:104925)

Saul A, Taylor BV, Blizzard L, Simpson-Yap S, Oddy WH, Shivappa N, Hebert JR, Black LJ, Ponsonby AL,

Broadley SA, Lechner-Scott J, Ausimmune/AusLong Investigator Group, van der Mei I (2023) A pro-inflammatory diet in people with Multiple sclerosis is associated with an increased rate of relapse and increased FLAIR lesion volume on MRI in early multiple sclerosis, a prospective cohort study. Mult Scler (29:8) 1012-1023

Russell R, Black LJ, Purdue J, Daly A, Begley A (2023) A collaborative approach to designing an online nutrition education program for people with multiple sclerosis. Disability and Rehabilitation doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2186499

Saul A, Taylor BV, Blizzard L, Simpson-Yap S, Oddy WH, Shivappa N, Hebert, JR, Black LJ, Ponsonby AL, Broadley SA, Lechner-Scott J, Ausimmune/AusLong Investigators, van der Mei I (2024) A pro-inflammatory diet is associated with long term depression and anxiety levels but not fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. Multiple Scle and Relat Disord (84:105468)

Updated 31 March 2024

Updated: 14 February, 2022

Stages of the research process

Fundamental laboratory
Research

Laboratory research that investigates scientific theories behind the possible causes, disease progression, ways to diagnose and better treat MS.

Lab to clinic timeline: 10+ years

Translational
Research

Research that builds on fundamental scientific research to develop new therapies, medical procedures or diagnostics and advances it closer to the clinic.

Lab to clinic timeline: 5+ years

Clinical Studies
and Clinical Trials

Clinical research is the culmination of fundamental and translational research turning those research discoveries into treatments and interventions for people with MS.

Lab to clinic timeline: 1-5 years