8 Anti-Inflammatory Foods for Multiple Sclerosis
It’s unclear whether any food can directly counteract the inflammation associated with MS, but these foods may have indirect benefits.
When you have multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s important to follow a healthy diet. After all, your diet plays a significant role in your cardiovascular and overall health, both of which can have an impact on your MS symptoms and how disabled you feel from your disease.
Lately, though, it’s been popular in some circles to make more sweeping claims about diet and MS — such as that following a particular diet plan can directly reduce MS symptoms or slow progression of the disease. These claims present a paradox: They’re often unfounded based on current knowledge, and yet some of them may turn out to be true.
“Right now, we cannot really make any big statements about the role of diet,” says Laura Piccio, MD, PhD, a neurologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “There are suggestions that diet may be important, but we don’t have any robust clinical evidence that allows us to suggest one specific diet over another in patients with MS.”
One claim that’s often made about food and MS is that following an anti-inflammatory diet may be beneficial. This makes intuitive sense, since it’s well established that MS is an inflammatory disease.
It’s Unclear How Diet Affects the Inflammation That Occurs in MS
“Inflammation definitely plays a role, probably both in the development of the disease and in the subsequent clinical course,” says Dr. Piccio. But, she adds, that doesn’t mean we currently have a clear understanding of how diet affects this process.
Numerous studies involving animal models, as well as some smaller studies of people with MS, are under way to explore the connection between diet and MS and to understand how different foods could affect inflammatory processes in the body. “Probably in the next few years, we’ll have some answers,” says Piccio.
In the meantime, she recommends following a generally healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, and low in sugar, salt, saturated fat, and all processed foods. “We know for sure,” says Piccio, that such a diet “will impact the cardiovascular system, and so indirectly, this will benefit MS.”
Most foods that are widely touted for their anti-inflammatory effects, it turns out, are also good for you in other ways, and bear Piccio’s stamp of approval. “Definitely, those would be good recommendations that I would give to any patient to promote general health,” she notes.
Here are eight foods widely touted for their anti-inflammatory properties that you should check out if you have MS — even if we’re still waiting on solid evidence regarding their benefits.
1. Fatty Fish a Good Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
track
Fatty fish — such as trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring (including sardines) — are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are widely understood to have cardiovascular benefits, and they appear to help block the body's inflammatory response, according to a study published in August 2017 in the journal Autophagy.
When it comes to direct benefits for MS, the results are less clear-cut. A study of mice, published in January 2017 in the journal BMC Neuroscience, showed that omega-3s might have a small effect in promoting the rebuilding of myelin, the coating on nerve fibers that’s attacked in MS.
At least a couple of studies, including one published in April 2018 in the journal Neurology, have found that a higher intake of fatty fish may lower a person’s risk of developing MS.
2. Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Antioxidants
Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, substances that may help reduce inflammation. According to Harvard Women's Health Watch, an anti-inflammatory diet should include foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.
There’s some evidence that consuming these foods could be beneficial for MS. In a study published in January 2018 in the journal Neurology, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables was found to correlate with less disability and lower symptom severity in people with MS, including less fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment, and depression.
However, there were other dietary factors in that study that make it unclear how much fruits and vegetables were responsible for the results.
3. Turmeric Has Numerous Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Turmeric is a vibrant yellow, fragrant spice that grows as a rhizome (underground stem). It can be used fresh, but it’s most widely available in its dried and powdered form.
The most widely studied molecule in turmeric, known as curcumin, has been shown to have numerous potentially beneficial effects in the human body — some of which could be especially relevant to MS. As noted in a research review published in January 2017 in the Journal of Cellular Physiology, curcumin can affect various cells in your immune system a way that may decrease the severity of diseases stemming from an immune-system response.
One particular anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin is that it can block activation of a molecule that regulates tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which plays a role in inflammation in most inflammatory diseases, including MS, as noted in a study published in October 2017 in the journal Foods.
4. Ginger May Reduce Inflammation in the Nervous System
Ginger is another rhizome with a potent, spicy flavor. Like turmeric, it can be used fresh or dried and powdered.
Fresh ginger and ginger extracts are believed to contain a number of different anti-inflammatory compounds. One of these, 10-gingerol, is believed to be the most important in reducing neuroinflammation — inflammation in the brain or spinal cord — in particular, according to a study published in December 2013 in the journal Food Chemistry.
Another compound in ginger, known as 6-Shogaol, has also been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function in mice, as found in a study published in June 2014 in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.
5. Avocados a Source of Healthy Fats and Antioxidants
Avocados are a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, which can dampen your body’s inflammatory response. In fact, the anti-inflammatory properties of avocados are so strong that they may actually offset less healthy food choices.
A study published in February 2013 in the journal Food & Function looked at markers of inflammation in the blood of participants after they ate a hamburger either with or without about 2 ounces of avocado. The researchers found that including avocado reduced the inflammatory response compared with eating the hamburger alone.
Including avocado with the hamburger did not further increase participants’ blood triglyceride levels compared with the hamburger alone, despite the added fat and calories in the avocado.
6. Flaxseeds Provide Healthy Fats and Lignans
Flax is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, making it a good alternative to fatty fish. Flaxseed also contains phytochemicals called lignans, which have often been touted for their anti-inflammatory effects.
But the clinical evidence on lignans and inflammation is mixed, at best. In one study, published in November 2017 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, a group of older adults was given a flaxseed-based lignan supplement to take for six months. While participants who took the supplement had lower blood pressure during the study period than those who took a placebo (inactive pill), no significant differences were seen in a variety of other outcomes, including blood markers of inflammation.
7. Walnuts Reduce Inflammatory Blood Markers
Walnuts are a good source of omega-3s and other healthy unsaturated fats. Like some other types of nuts, they’re also packed with antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium, all of which have important roles in regulating inflammation.
Consuming walnuts has been shown to reduce levels of two blood markers involved in the inflammatory response — prostaglandin E metabolite and 11-dehydro thromboxane B2 — but not certain others, according to a study published in October 2012 in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. The study was supported by the California Walnut Commission.
Another study, which also received support from the California Walnut Commission and was published in May 2013 in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, found that in older rats, a diet rich in walnuts reduced brain inflammation, with the most beneficial effects found in the hippocampus — an area of the brain that’s critical for memory and cognition.
8. Olive Oil May Help to Prevent Inflammation
There’s provisional evidence that extra-virgin olive oil — and in particular, components in it known as phenols — may help prevent the inflammatory processes involved in a variety of chronic diseases, according to an article published in November 2016 in the journal Food & Function.
In fact, a research review published in September 2015 in the journal Nutrients found that out of 30 studies enrolling over 3,000 people, consuming olive oil was associated with a pronounced decrease in two inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. There was also strong evidence that consuming olive oil resulted in improved blood vessel function.
When you have multiple sclerosis (MS), it’s important to follow a healthy diet. After all, your diet plays a significant role in your cardiovascular and overall health, both of which can have an impact on your MS symptoms and how disabled you feel from your disease.
Lately, though, it’s been popular in some circles to make more sweeping claims about diet and MS — such as that following a particular diet plan can directly reduce MS symptoms or slow progression of the disease. These claims present a paradox: They’re often unfounded based on current knowledge, and yet some of them may turn out to be true.
“Right now, we cannot really make any big statements about the role of diet,” says Laura Piccio, MD, PhD, a neurologist at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “There are suggestions that diet may be important, but we don’t have any robust clinical evidence that allows us to suggest one specific diet over another in patients with MS.”
One claim that’s often made about food and MS is that following an anti-inflammatory diet may be beneficial. This makes intuitive sense, since it’s well established that MS is an inflammatory disease.
It’s Unclear How Diet Affects the Inflammation That Occurs in MS
“Inflammation definitely plays a role, probably both in the development of the disease and in the subsequent clinical course,” says Dr. Piccio. But, she adds, that doesn’t mean we currently have a clear understanding of how diet affects this process.
Numerous studies involving animal models, as well as some smaller studies of people with MS, are under way to explore the connection between diet and MS and to understand how different foods could affect inflammatory processes in the body. “Probably in the next few years, we’ll have some answers,” says Piccio.
In the meantime, she recommends following a generally healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, and low in sugar, salt, saturated fat, and all processed foods. “We know for sure,” says Piccio, that such a diet “will impact the cardiovascular system, and so indirectly, this will benefit MS.”
Most foods that are widely touted for their anti-inflammatory effects, it turns out, are also good for you in other ways, and bear Piccio’s stamp of approval. “Definitely, those would be good recommendations that I would give to any patient to promote general health,” she notes.
Here are eight foods widely touted for their anti-inflammatory properties that you should check out if you have MS — even if we’re still waiting on solid evidence regarding their benefits.
1. Fatty Fish a Good Source of Omega-3 Fatty Acids
track
Fatty fish — such as trout, salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring (including sardines) — are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are widely understood to have cardiovascular benefits, and they appear to help block the body's inflammatory response, according to a study published in August 2017 in the journal Autophagy.
When it comes to direct benefits for MS, the results are less clear-cut. A study of mice, published in January 2017 in the journal BMC Neuroscience, showed that omega-3s might have a small effect in promoting the rebuilding of myelin, the coating on nerve fibers that’s attacked in MS.
At least a couple of studies, including one published in April 2018 in the journal Neurology, have found that a higher intake of fatty fish may lower a person’s risk of developing MS.
2. Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Antioxidants
Fruits and vegetables are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, substances that may help reduce inflammation. According to Harvard Women's Health Watch, an anti-inflammatory diet should include foods like tomatoes, leafy greens such as spinach and kale, and fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.
There’s some evidence that consuming these foods could be beneficial for MS. In a study published in January 2018 in the journal Neurology, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables was found to correlate with less disability and lower symptom severity in people with MS, including less fatigue, pain, cognitive impairment, and depression.
However, there were other dietary factors in that study that make it unclear how much fruits and vegetables were responsible for the results.
3. Turmeric Has Numerous Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Turmeric is a vibrant yellow, fragrant spice that grows as a rhizome (underground stem). It can be used fresh, but it’s most widely available in its dried and powdered form.
The most widely studied molecule in turmeric, known as curcumin, has been shown to have numerous potentially beneficial effects in the human body — some of which could be especially relevant to MS. As noted in a research review published in January 2017 in the Journal of Cellular Physiology, curcumin can affect various cells in your immune system a way that may decrease the severity of diseases stemming from an immune-system response.
One particular anti-inflammatory effect of curcumin is that it can block activation of a molecule that regulates tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), which plays a role in inflammation in most inflammatory diseases, including MS, as noted in a study published in October 2017 in the journal Foods.
4. Ginger May Reduce Inflammation in the Nervous System
Ginger is another rhizome with a potent, spicy flavor. Like turmeric, it can be used fresh or dried and powdered.
Fresh ginger and ginger extracts are believed to contain a number of different anti-inflammatory compounds. One of these, 10-gingerol, is believed to be the most important in reducing neuroinflammation — inflammation in the brain or spinal cord — in particular, according to a study published in December 2013 in the journal Food Chemistry.
Another compound in ginger, known as 6-Shogaol, has also been shown to reduce neuroinflammation and improve cognitive function in mice, as found in a study published in June 2014 in the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.
5. Avocados a Source of Healthy Fats and Antioxidants
Avocados are a great source of healthy monounsaturated fat and antioxidants, which can dampen your body’s inflammatory response. In fact, the anti-inflammatory properties of avocados are so strong that they may actually offset less healthy food choices.
A study published in February 2013 in the journal Food & Function looked at markers of inflammation in the blood of participants after they ate a hamburger either with or without about 2 ounces of avocado. The researchers found that including avocado reduced the inflammatory response compared with eating the hamburger alone.
Including avocado with the hamburger did not further increase participants’ blood triglyceride levels compared with the hamburger alone, despite the added fat and calories in the avocado.
6. Flaxseeds Provide Healthy Fats and Lignans
Flax is one of the richest sources of omega-3 fatty acids, making it a good alternative to fatty fish. Flaxseed also contains phytochemicals called lignans, which have often been touted for their anti-inflammatory effects.
But the clinical evidence on lignans and inflammation is mixed, at best. In one study, published in November 2017 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, a group of older adults was given a flaxseed-based lignan supplement to take for six months. While participants who took the supplement had lower blood pressure during the study period than those who took a placebo (inactive pill), no significant differences were seen in a variety of other outcomes, including blood markers of inflammation.
7. Walnuts Reduce Inflammatory Blood Markers
Walnuts are a good source of omega-3s and other healthy unsaturated fats. Like some other types of nuts, they’re also packed with antioxidants, fiber, and magnesium, all of which have important roles in regulating inflammation.
Consuming walnuts has been shown to reduce levels of two blood markers involved in the inflammatory response — prostaglandin E metabolite and 11-dehydro thromboxane B2 — but not certain others, according to a study published in October 2012 in the journal Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. The study was supported by the California Walnut Commission.
Another study, which also received support from the California Walnut Commission and was published in May 2013 in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, found that in older rats, a diet rich in walnuts reduced brain inflammation, with the most beneficial effects found in the hippocampus — an area of the brain that’s critical for memory and cognition.
8. Olive Oil May Help to Prevent Inflammation
There’s provisional evidence that extra-virgin olive oil — and in particular, components in it known as phenols — may help prevent the inflammatory processes involved in a variety of chronic diseases, according to an article published in November 2016 in the journal Food & Function.
In fact, a research review published in September 2015 in the journal Nutrients found that out of 30 studies enrolling over 3,000 people, consuming olive oil was associated with a pronounced decrease in two inflammatory markers, C-reactive protein and interleukin-6. There was also strong evidence that consuming olive oil resulted in improved blood vessel function.
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