Diet-Induced Changes in Functional Disability among People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Secondary Pooled Analysis of...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Nutrition Science
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Dietary interventions are increasingly linked to positive multiple sclerosis (MS) outcomes.
• However, robust evidence on their efficacy in improving functional disability is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of a modified Paleolithic diet (Paleo) on functional disability in MS patients.
• To assess changes using the MS Functional Composite (MSFC) over a 12-week period.

Main Methods:

• Pooled data from two 12-week randomized controlled pilot trials.
• Assessed functional disability via MSFC, including the nine-hole peg test (NHPT), timed 25-foot walk (T25FW), and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) Z-scores.
• Compared changes in MSFC scores between the Paleo and control groups.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in mean MSFC score change between groups (p=0.07).
• The Paleo group showed significant improvement in MSFC (p=0.03), NHPT (p<0.001), and PASAT (p=0.04) Z-scores at 12 weeks compared to baseline.
• No significant changes were observed in the control group.

Conclusions:

• A modified Paleolithic diet may reduce or maintain functional disability in individuals with MS.
• Preliminary findings suggest potential benefits of the Paleo diet, possibly varying by MS type.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these observations.