A cross sectional assessment of nutrient intake and the association of the inflammatory properties of nutrients and foods with symptom severity, in a large cohort from the UK Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

Abstract

To assess the intake of nutrients in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS) compared to a control population, and to assess the pro/ anti-inflammatory properties of nutrients/ foods and their relationships with fatigue and quality of life. This was a cross sectional study in which 2410 pwMS (686 men; 1721 women, 3 n/a, mean age 53 (11 yrs)) provided dietary data using a Food Frequency Questionnaire that was hosted on the MS Register for a period of three months and this was compared to a cohort of 24,852 controls (11,250 male, 13,602 female, mean age 59 yrs). Consent was implied by anonymously filling out the questionnaire. A Wilcoxon test was used to compare intake between pwMS and controls, and a bivariate analyses followed by chi2 test were undertaken to identify significance and the strength of the relationship between pro/ anti-inflammatory dietary factors and fatigue and EQ-5D. Compared to controls, all nutrients were significantly lower in the MS group (p<0.05). Bivariate associations showed a significant correlation between consuming fish and lower clinical fatigue (χ2(1) = 4.221, p <0.05), with a very low association (φ (phi) = -0.051, p=0.04. Positive health outcomes on the EQ-5D measures were associated with higher carotene, magnesium oily fish and fruits and vegetable and sodium consumption (p<0.05). Fibre, red meat and saturated fat (women only) consumption was associated with worse outcomes on the EQ-5D measures (p<0.05). People with MS have different dietary intakes compared to controls, and this may be associated with worse symptoms.