Mediterranean Diet Improves Cognition in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Adding to the plethora of benefits associated with a Mediterranean diet, new research reveals that adopting a Mediterranean diet can improve cognition in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The results of a collaborative study by the Center of MS at Mount Sinai and Johns Hopkins University were submitted in an abstract to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 2023 Annual Meeting.

MS is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in numbness, tingling, visual impairments, fatigue, mood changes, and other symptoms. The disease manifests differently in each patient and can be unpredictable. Considering its impact on cognition, researchers are exploring how to minimize cognitive impairment caused by MS.

While previous data had established relationships between a Mediterranean diet, thalamic volume for patients with early MS, and MS-related disability, no data has conclusively linked diet and cognition for MS patients.

Investigators collected data from over 560 individuals with MS, asking them to complete the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), scored on a scale between 1 and 14, and a series of cognitive tests. Cognitive tests included a Symbol Digit Modalities Test, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, and the CANTAB Paired Associate Learning Test. Using the results of the cognitive tests, the clinicians running the study developed a composite cognitive z-score.

Roughly 20% of the participant population, 108 individuals, experienced cognitive impairment. However, researchers concluded that those who scored lower on the MEDAS scale were more likely to have a cognitive impairment, with a higher MEDAS score reducing impairment risk by 20%.

Beyond looking at the effect of a Mediterranean diet on the risk of cognitive impairment in patients with MS, the researchers compared the impact with other health-related predictors, finding that diet was one of the best indicators of cognition.

In the abstract, the study leaders note, “after controlling for important potential confounders, we note a significant association between Mediterranean diet score and cognition in a representative sample of people with MS. The strength of the relationship in progressive disease suggests the possibility of a neuroprotective mechanism. Longitudinal studies and interventional clinical trials are needed.”

A Mediterranean diet, which includes high levels of vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts but is low in saturated fats and processed meat, has been known to improve health outcomes across multiple conditions. Recently a study in JAMA Network Open found that a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

With data on the benefits of a Mediterranean diet extending to neurological conditions and cognition, providers may consider adding lifestyle changes and promoting Mediterranean diets in treatment regimens.