THE ESSENTIAL
- In France, 4,000 to 6,000 new cases of multiple sclerosis are diagnosed each year.
- Bacteria thought to be beneficial for inflammatory bowel disease were reduced in MS patients, who had higher levels of Lcn-2 in the stool.
What if the key to fighting multiple sclerosis was to watch the contents of your plate? This was suggested by researchers from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in the United States. In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Immunologythey revealed that consuming foods rich in fiber could help slow the progression of the disease.
“Multiple sclerosis is associated with intestinal inflammation and intestinal dysbiosis (i.e. an imbalance in the biodiversity of our flora)”, wrote the scientists. As part of this work, they wanted to focus on the causes of intestinal inflammation linked to autoimmune disease. For this, the team examined the intestinal infiltration of immune cells in genetically modified mice.
A biomarker of intestinal inflammation elevated in patients
As these rodents grew and developed experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a condition similar to multiple sclerosis, the authors observed an increase in inflammatory cells in their colon and the production of an antimicrobial protein, called “fecal lipocalin (Lcn-2)”, which is a biomarker of intestinal inflammation.
Then the researchers tried to prove that this same process occurs in people with multiple sclerosis. For this, they analyzed their stool and identified significantly elevated levels of fecal lipocalin. “Elevated levels of Lcn-2 are linked to reduced bacterial diversity and increased levels of other markers of gut inflammation,” can we read in the searches.
Multiple sclerosis: fiber reduces intestinal inflammation
According to scientists, changing your diet, by ingesting more fiber, helps reduce intestinal inflammation and slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. “Poor dietary habits, such as low fiber and high fat consumption, may contribute to the large increase in MS. (…) In countries where people eat a lot of fiber, MS is less common,” said Kouichi Ito, author of the study, in a statement.
Now, the team plans to recruit adults with multiple sclerosis for a trial that will determine how their microbiota and immune systems are affected by a dietary supplement rich in fiber.