When you have multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s important to follow a healthy diet. After all, your diet plays a significant role in your cardiovascular and overall health, both of which can have an impact on your MS symptoms and your daily functioning. In recent years, a growing number of studies have investigated the link between diet and MS, exploring questions such as whether changing what you eat can improve symptoms like fatigue and possibly slow the progression of the disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295e46ea75-1125-4a5a-955b-318f6d4cdd37 “Right now, we cannot really make any big statements about the role of diet,” says Laura Piccio, MD, PhD , a professor of neurology at the University of Sydney in Australia and a coauthor of a journal article examining recent research on the topic.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976295e46ea75-1125-4a5a-955b-318f6d4cdd37 “There are suggestions that diet may be important, but we don’t have any robust clinical evidence that allows us to suggest one specific diet over another for patients with MS.” How Diet May Impact Inflammation in MS Scientists are looking into the connection between diet and MS, and how different foods may affect inflammatory processes in the body. “Inflammation definitely plays a role [in MS], probably both in the development of the disease and in the subsequent clinical course,” says Dr. Piccio, adding that there’s currently no clear understanding of how diet affects this process. “Probably in the next few years, we’ll have some answers.” In the meantime, she recommends following a diet that’s rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains , and legumes and low in sugar, salt, saturated fat , and processed foods . “We know for sure,” says Piccio, that such a diet “will affect the cardiovascular system, and so indirectly, this will benefit MS.” Most of the foods that are widely touted for their anti-inflammatory effects earn Piccio’s stamp of approval. “Definitely, those would be good recommendations that I would give to any patient to promote general health,” she says. These eight anti-inflammatory foods are easy to add to your diet and may be helpful for people with MS. Turmeric, fatty fish, avocados, and olive oil are among the foods believed to have anti-inflammatory effects in the body.
Fatty Fish Fatty fish — such as trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, and sardines — are good sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297e9c6eb3-2f49-4bce-a793-338f753a38b0 One research review found that omega-3s and oils found in these fish may reduce inflammatory markers and relapse rates, and improve quality of life for people with MS.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762951ea3e15-4864-4d47-854f-9c8350a4c687 At least a couple of studies have found that a higher intake of fatty fish may lower a person’s risk of developing MS.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b8bdf84e-9ba3-48be-9b13-b16048d3d120e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629223fe2f5-76aa-4bcc-b0c6-4bd1921446b2 Fatty Fish
Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, substances that may reduce inflammation. An anti-inflammatory diet includes foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale , and fruits like strawberries, blueberries , cherries, and oranges.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dd9a5e25-099a-4981-a1e6-98bfda907451 There’s some evidence that these foods are beneficial for people with MS. In one study, a diet with increased vegetable consumption was correlated with symptom reduction in people with MS, compared with those who ate more red and processed meats. Study participants experienced less fatigue, pain, bladder dysfunction, and walking difficulty.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629102515f7-88b3-4850-8f0d-aeb0c44a955b Another study found that participants with multiple sclerosis who ate a high-quality diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as those who ate no meat, had a lower risk of severe disability, fatigue, and depression.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762956943ac5-0cea-4beb-91a8-3aadd09d9752 And one meta-analysis of studies found that dietary interventions that typically are high in fruits and vegetables were associated with reductions in fatigue and greater improvements in physical and mental quality of life.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297a497718-f462-403c-98ca-99ac98a7d213 Researchers noted, however, that the findings were far from conclusive, because of the limited number of studies included and their small sample sizes. Fruits and Vegetables
Turmeric Turmeric is a fragrant vibrant yellow spice that grows as a rhizome (underground stem). It can be used fresh, and it’s also available in dried and powdered form. The most widely studied molecule in turmeric, curcumin, has been shown to have numerous potentially beneficial effects in the human body — some of which could be especially relevant to MS.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e28cf431-6a8e-49a8-9dfe-ba3a4e8a9930 As noted in one frequently cited research review, curcumin can affect various cells in your immune system in a way that may decrease the severity of diseases stemming from an immune-system response.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976294abd5f1a-9e27-4614-825b-30fce7f036ad Specific anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin include inhibiting several different types of proinflammatory proteins called cytokines, as well as tamping down the activation of certain inflammatory immune cells.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b730e22c-f7e1-4144-a7f9-4f83d6d31987 Turmeric
Ginger Ginger is another rhizome with a potent, spicy flavor. Like turmeric, it can be used fresh or dried and powdered. Research has shown that fresh ginger and ginger extracts contain a number of different anti-inflammatory compounds. One of these, 10-gingerol, is believed to be the most important in reducing neuroinflammation — inflammation in the brain or spinal cord — according to one frequently cited study.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f3dd249e-8bc5-4e80-bbe6-f5c85d09fd80 Another compound in ginger, known as 6-shogaol, reduced neuroinflammation and improved neuropathic pain in rats in one study.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b5b9200f-93c7-429f-9687-1433f11e309a And a research review noted that early studies show promising evidence that 6-shogaol can act as an anti-inflammatory compound, though researchers are still investigating exactly how it works.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292b4d40b9-a494-4268-9897-87486eb839ef Another review concluded that the compounds found in ginger, including gingerols and shogaols, have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These might reduce levels of inflammation and oxidative stress — an imbalance in the body where you have too many free radicals, the unstable molecules that can cause premature aging and chronic disease, and too few antioxidants — in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b1ba9a19-7300-4248-9a42-71a8bc695dc8e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762916ed11ea-3c8f-4efa-b186-c882499f81f0 Ginger
Avocados Avocados are a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, which can dampen your body’s inflammatory response.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629fa7609bb-ac7f-4501-9447-5c39c0a35c21 A research review found that in some studies, a combination of avocado and soybean oils had anti-inflammatory properties that may have a beneficial effect on various inflammatory diseases or conditions that involve inflammation, such as osteoarthritis and periodontal disease.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762928ec4f02-a475-4615-abcc-9d5aef7cffc7 Avocados
Flaxseeds Flaxseed is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, making it a good alternative to fatty fish. The seed also contains phytochemicals called lignans, which have often been touted for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762991141339-649b-40d9-bc32-c5e57d48b0fd The clinical evidence on lignans and inflammation is premature, though promising. In one study, a group of older adults was given a flaxseed-based lignan supplement to take for six months. While participants who took the supplement had lower blood pressure during the study period than those who took a placebo, no significant differences were seen in a variety of other outcomes, including blood markers of inflammation.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762959158b39-bf4e-47cc-81e8-7e2d04dc6f09 One review found that flaxseed oil is responsible for a number of positive health benefits: It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects, among others. The authors note, however, that more research needs to be done to provide better evidence of less-investigated benefits like neuroprotection.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299ddff18c-421b-4ede-bcbd-01cd27af7dcc Flaxseeds
Walnuts Walnuts are a good source of omega-3s and other healthy unsaturated fats.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293a2018bb-d1c0-40e6-8bbc-0ff67851df14 Like some other types of nuts , they’re also packed with antioxidants and fiber, both of which have important roles in regulating inflammation.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629dc8ca7f5-b8f6-4214-ba8c-a590bfea0c7ae60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a0e186cf-9b3f-4b6c-91b1-db1efa4d7f20 One research review shows that in mice with an animal model of multiple sclerosis, walnut oil reduced disease severity, improved the immune system’s regulatory response, and suppressed cytokine production — all of which makes it a potentially beneficial component of MS treatment for humans. The authors point out, however, that the findings are limited by the fact that much of the research was conducted on small sample sizes and has not yet been replicated.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293bf47e46-925c-4392-886e-9aa7bc1906f1 Another review found that eating walnuts not only reduced some signs of inflammation but also had other health benefits such as decreased triglyceride and cholesterol levels in middle-aged adults.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762999a06eb8-72f0-4f5b-8514-8a043972fecf Walnuts
Olive Oil There’s provisional evidence that extra-virgin olive oil — and in particular, components in it known as phenols — may help prevent the inflammatory processes involved in a variety of chronic diseases, according to one review.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629506ac4ff-ad0d-4873-861a-31dcb240cc87 A review of studies on olive products, including extra-virgin olive oil, found that the fruit’s polyphenols have the potential to protect nerve cells against damage and degeneration and reduce neuroinflammation. Researchers note that further clinical trials are needed to determine how to best use olive polyphenols (and at what dosage) to prevent or treat MS.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b3c9d567-4956-4246-a673-5bacbfda32de Olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet; one research review notes that olive oil may help protect the nervous system from oxidative stress, and that the Mediterranean diet as a whole reduces signs of inflammation.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629711720bd-57f0-44f7-82be-cb593e40769d Supporting this line of thought is a study that showed that the more a person’s diet aligned with the Mediterranean diet, the less MS-related disability a person experienced.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ac241c13-5c97-474d-9f09-4a749f50d2cd Olive Oil
The Takeaway A lot of research indicates that certain foods can reduce inflammation, but when it comes to multiple sclerosis (MS), there aren’t yet specific guidelines for using diet to treat symptoms or prevent progression of the disease. Preliminary research shows that eating anti-inflammatory foods may have benefits, such as reducing the production of proinflammatory chemicals called cytokines, or by regulating the immune system response in MS. A generally healthy diet rich in unsaturated fats and antioxidants via foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts has been shown to be supportive of health in those with MS. While specific dietary recommendations are still to come, it’s worth discussing with your doctor or dietitian how to incorporate anti-inflammatory foods into your diet, as they have proven general health benefits and might alleviate your MS symptoms. Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips and Katherine Lee .