New Insights on the Nutrition Status and Antioxidant Capacity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

Ayelet Armon-Omer,Hadar Neuman,Radi Shahien,Snait Tamir,Naaem Simaan,Chen Waldman

doi:10.3390/nu11020427

Abstract

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a multifactorial disease with unknown etiology. It is assumed to result from interplay between genetic and environmental factors, including nutrition. We hypothesized that there are differences in nutritional parameters between MS patients and healthy controls. Methods: We examined 63 MS patients and 83 healthy controls. Nutritional status was determined by a dietary questionnaire, blood tests, quantification of cell membrane fatty acids, and serum antioxidant capacity. Results: We found that MS patients consumed a more limited diet compared with the healthy group, indicated by a lower average of 31 nutrients and by consumption levels of zinc and thiamine below the recommended daily intake. Both consumption and measured iron values were significantly lower in MS patients, with the lowest measures in the severe MS group. Long saturated fatty acids (>C16) were significantly lower in MS patients, while palmitic and palmitoleic acids were both higher. Serum total antioxidant capacity was significantly lower in the MS group compared with healthy controls, with the lowest measures in patients with severe MS. Conclusions: This study points to a possible correlation between nutritional status and MS. Understanding the clinical meaning of these findings will potentially allow for the development of future personalized dietary interventions as part of MS treatment.

Highlights

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic multifactorial disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults
We found significant differences in the intake of 31 nutritional components (47% of all measured components), with lower levels found in MS patients compared with healthy controls
We did not find a difference in the omega-3 intake nor in red blood cell (RBC) membrane values between the MS and healthy groups, we found a tendency toward lower omega-3 values in MS patients, with the lowest levels found in patients with severe MS

Summary

Introduction

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic multifactorial disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and the most common cause of neurological disability in young adults. Nutritional status was determined by a dietary questionnaire, blood tests, quantification of cell membrane fatty acids, and serum antioxidant capacity. Results: We found that MS patients consumed a more limited diet compared with the healthy group, indicated by a lower average of 31 nutrients and by consumption levels of zinc and thiamine below the recommended daily intake. Both consumption and measured iron values were significantly lower in MS patients, with the lowest measures in the severe MS group. Serum total antioxidant capacity was significantly lower in the MS group compared with healthy controls, with the lowest measures in patients with severe

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