New research: Could the way you eat support better cognitive health in MS?

A new study has found that people with MS who eat in line with the Mediterranean or MIND diets tend to perform better on several measures of cognitive function. The Mediterranean diet includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and olive oil, while limiting dairy, meat and sugary foods. The MIND diet, short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, is a combination approach designed to support long-term brain health, with extra emphasis on leafy greens, berries, whole grains and healthy fats that may help protect thinking skills as we age. 

What did the researchers look at?

The researchers looked at data from 967 participants in the United Kingdom Multiple Sclerosis Register (UKMSR). Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to assess how closely their diets matched the Mediterranean and MIND patterns. They then looked at how well people performed during a range of online cognitive tasks. Finally, they carried out statistical tests to see if following the Mediterranean or MIND diets was associated with better cognitive scores.  

What did they find?

It’s good news if you are already following a high-quality diet to help you live well with MS!  

People who more closely followed the Mediterranean and MIND diets had better scores in several areas, including information processing speed, remembering words, understanding word meanings and making verbal comparisons. 

The team also looked at whether these relationships differed between groups. They found that the link between the Mediterranean diet and better cognitive performance was stronger in people with progressive MS, particularly for information processing speed and memory for words.

For the MIND diet, links were also generally stronger and more consistent in progressive MS than in relapsing-remitting MS. This included overall cognitive performance, information processing speed, motor control tasks and word-based tasks. Among people with relapsing-remitting MS, those who more closely followed the MIND diet, were linked with better cognitive performance in   those not currently taking disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) versus those taking DMTs. 

The findings support the idea that diet can have small but meaningful effects on cognition in complex conditions like MS. Diet quality alone is unlikely to prevent cognitive decline in people with MS due to the multiple interacting inflammatory and neurodegenerative processes involved. However, the researchers state that:

“…even modest associations may have meaningful implications at the population level, particularly when sustained over time or combined with other healthy behaviours.”

One possible explanation for the findings is the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of the Mediterranean and MIND diets, which may help protect nerve cells. Both diets also support good gut health, which may support cognitive health through the gut-brain axis, the two-way communication system linking your gut and brain through nerves, chemicals, and the immune system.  

The results of the study also add to growing evidence that diet may influence outcomes differently in progressive MS and relapsing-remitting MS.  

What does this mean for you?

Cognitive difficulties are a symptom of MS that often goes unnoticed – but research shows that up to 70% of people with MS experience them. So, if you’re reading this and noticing cognitive changes – you’re not alone and there are things you can do that can make a real difference.  

The Overcoming MS, Mediterranean and MIND diets share many core principles. All these diets emphasise: 

• Lots of vegetables 
• Fruits 
• Whole grains 
• Legumes 
• Nuts and seeds  
• Healthy fats 
• Regular fish consumption 

All these diets limit or avoid: 

• Dairy 
• Red meat 
• Ultra-processed foods  

Whichever diet you choose, make sure it’s one that’s rich in healthy, whole foods to support your brain health and reduce inflammation.  

The researchers who carried out this study also suggest that the positive effects of a healthy diet may be even stronger when combined with other positive lifestyle behaviours. This is at the heart of the holistic approach taken by the Overcoming MS Program, which combines a high-quality diet with regular exercise, stress reduction, medication (as advised by your clinicians) and Vitamin D supplementation to give people the best chance of living well with MS. Overcoming MS guides you in ways to make these changes in sustainable ways to ‘change your life for life’. 

Read the full paper here: Mediterranean and MIND Dietary Patterns and Cognitive Performance in Multiple Sclerosis: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the UK Multiple Sclerosis Register – PMC