Calorie Restriction Could Improve Outcomes in MS Patients
In a study of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers have found that a calorie-restriction (CR) diet resulted in weight loss and improved emotional well-being.
Previous research using animal models has shown that CR diets have favorable effects on MS, and that this approach may confer more anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective benefits than weight loss alone. Accordingly, the researchers sought to evaluate the safety and feasibility of restricted caloric intake in persons with MS and assess the effect of such diets on the weight and emotional health of persons with MS.
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In their randomized, controlled pilot feeding study, the researchers randomly assigned a cohort of patients with MS to 1 of the following 3 diets for 8 weeks: a daily CR diet representing a 22% daily reduction in energy needs; an intermittent CR diet representing a 75% reduction in energy needs 2 days per week and no reduction on the other 5 days per week; and a control diet with no reduction in energy needs 7 days per week.
All told, 86% of enrollees (31 of 36) completed the 8-week trial with no reported adverse effects.
The study results showed that participants with MS who were assigned to either of the 2 CR diets lost a median of 3.4 kg. While the difference was not found to be significant, participants on the daily CR diet lost more weight (median, 3.6 kg) than did those on the intermittent CR diet (median, 3.0 kg).
Importantly, the participants on the daily CR diet had significantly better adherence than those on the intermittent CR diet. Still, the researchers noted that compared with the control group, participants on both 8-week CR diets showed significant improvement in well-being/depression scores.
The study authors concluded that “CR diets are a safe/feasible way to achieve weight loss in people with MS and may be associated with improved emotional health.”
—Michael Gerchufsky
Reference:
Fitzgerald KC, Vizthum D, Henry-Barron B, et al. Effect of intermittent vs. daily calorie restriction on changes in weight and patient-reported outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler Relat Disord. 2018;23:33-39. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2018.05.002.