ISLAMABAD(Online): Previous research supports the idea that eating foods low in fat can improve one’s overall health; This includes reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may experience improvements in fatigue by adopting a low-fat diet, according to a new study. The findings were published in the Journal of Multiple Sclerosis.
In this randomized controlled study, researchers examined 39 MS patients experiencing fatigue. They were divided into two groups: There were 19 people in the control group and they received diet education at the end of the 4-month study.
The other 20 people, the “active” group, received nutritional counseling for 2 weeks and then followed a low-fat diet for 12 weeks. Their blood was tested regularly to monitor its effects on health.
The group that received nutritional counseling and adopted a low-fat diet showed a large improvement in fatigue as measured by the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale. Participants answered questions once a month for researchers to analyze their ability to concentrate, focus and perform daily physical activities.
D., principal investigator and senior author, professor of neurology at OHSU. “With this randomized controlled trial, we were able to show that dietary changes may play an important role in symptom management in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS),” said Vijayshree Yadav. The director of the School of Medicine and the OHSU Multiple Sclerosis Center told Medical News Today:
“The investigation that diet can change symptoms in people with MS is an important finding and adds to the literature that diet is important in people with MS. People with MS constantly ask what type of diet they should follow. This study will add scientific validity to these questions,” he added.
But more research is needed to better understand the relationship between fatigue, MS, and a low-fat diet.
Dr. “As the next step, we are working on examining the blood collected from these subjects participating in the diet study,” Yadav said. “Using advanced techniques, the blood test will show chemical changes and may shed light on how fatigue changes in people with MS on a low-fat diet. We expect to have these results within the next 6 months. Additionally, we plan to conduct further studies to confirm these findings in a broader MS population.” . [United States].”
How does diet affect fatigue in multiple sclerosis?
Dr. D., associate professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine and director of clinical research in neuroimmunology. “Diet has been a focus of attention for many years regarding its relationship with MS,” said Erin Longbrake, MD. Dr. Longbrake was not involved in this study.
He recommended:
“While there is no strong evidence that any one diet is sufficient to control the disease itself, some symptoms of the disease may be improved by certain diets. In this study they looked at a low-fat diet and found that – with some caveats – people on the diet had greater fatigue during the study compared to the control group.” showed that they reported improvement.”
“This aligns with my clinical experience; MS symptoms, such as pain or fatigue, are sometimes better when patients follow a healthy diet plan, like this low-fat diet, than when they don’t,” continued Dr. Longbrake. The relationship of diet to fatigue is unknown and unclear, explained John W. Lindsey, MD, professor and director of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, who was also not involved in this research.
“Researchers conducted this study to test whether high fat intake was associated with fatigue. They found a modest improvement in fatigue in subjects who followed the low-fat diet. Their diets also excluded red meat, and participants consumed fewer calories overall, and their intakes of other food groups also changed,” he said. Dr. Lindsey.
“It is unclear which of these changes may benefit. “We also need to consider the role of the placebo effect because subjects who changed their diet knew they were making a change and expected an improvement in fatigue,” he added.
Incorporating a low-fat diet into your daily life
Although a low-fat diet is beneficial for MS patients, it is also beneficial for a person’s overall health.
“People with MS who experience fatigue may consider trying dietary changes to see if their symptoms become less bothersome,” Longbrake explained. “A low-fat diet would be an example of a dietary change. In general, consistent observation for weeks to months is required before drawing conclusions about whether dietary changes are helping.”
There are simple, healthy swaps that can make a difference.
Dr. “A low-fat diet is better for overall health and is a good idea regardless of its impact on MS,” Lindsey said. “You can reduce your consumption of fried foods, replace red meat with baked fish or chicken, and increase your fruit and vegetable intake.”
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