Intermittent fasting found effective for people with MS in small study

A small randomised trial has found that intermittent fasting, where food and drink are limited to 500 calories a day on two days each week, is both safe and effective for people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS).

The study, from the University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, achieved its main goal of lowering serum leptin levels after 12 weeks, compared to a control group. Leptin, a pro-inflammatory protein that could play a role in MS, was significantly reduced in the intermittent fasting group (P=0.03) after accounting for factors like age, sex, and disease-modifying therapies, as reported in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry.

There were no serious side effects reported. After six weeks, the 42 participants in the intermittent fasting group showed an increase in blood CD45RO+ regulatory T-cells. Additionally, exploratory testing revealed an improvement in cognitive processing speed, measured by the Symbol Digit Modality Test, after 12 weeks.

These findings offer valuable insights into the mechanisms at play and suggest that diet could serve as a helpful lifestyle intervention for people living with MS, according to the researchers.