Association between index of nutritional quality and multiple sclerosis

The role of nutritional quality of the diet in the development and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not yet well understood. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between index of nutritional quality (INQ) and MS. In this case-control study, 70 patients with a definitive diagnosis of MS in the preceding year and 140 frequency-matched hospital controls were selected from among 20-50 year-old patients referred to Sina and Lolagar hospitals in Tehran. The subjects’ dietary intakes were assessed using a valid and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. INQs for all the nutrients were then calculated for every participant, and logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratios for having MS in relation to every nutrient’s INQ. After adjusting for potential confounders, it was seen that subjects who had higher INQs for alpha-linolenic acid, vitamins A, D, K, B1, B2, B5, B6, folate, B12, and C, and minerals calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and potassium were less likely (p<0.05) to have MS as compared to subjects with lower INQs for these nutrients. The findings of the present study show inverse associations between the INQ of many nutrients and risk of having MS. Therefore, it seems that overall improvement of the nutritional quality of the diet might be an appropriate approach for prevention of this disease.