A recently published study found that in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, eating a gluten-free diet for six months significantly reduced their symptoms and eased disability.
The findings support growing evidence linking the gut-brain axis and metabolic inflammation to MS and suggest that a gluten-free diet may be a promising dietary intervention for people with multiple sclerosis (MS). About 85% of people with MS are diagnosed first with the relapsing-remitting form of the condition, in which relapses, or periods of new or worsening symptoms, are interspersed with periods of remission in which disease signs ease.
Key Takeaways From This Study:
“A gluten-free diet improved disease outcomes … in RRMS patients over six months,” the researchers wrote in the “Highlights” section of their study. Further, “weight management and other … improvements were observed in RRMS patients,” according to the team.
Other key highlights included:
- Less disability after six months as measured on the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS).
- Serum lipopolysaccharide levels significantly decreased in the GFD intervention group.
- Weight management and other anthropometric improvements were observed in RRMS patients.
Overall, according to the researchers, “a six-month gluten-free diet improved [decreased] disability, reduced [LPS levels in the body], and favorably altered body composition in RRMS patients, supporting its potential as a complementary nutritional therapy in multiple sclerosis management.”
You can read the complete study, “Effect of a gluten-free diet on serum lipopolysaccharide levels and disease progression in multiple sclerosis patients: A 6–month longitudinal study,” which was published in the journal Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders by clicking on the link.