New research finds adopting multiple healthy lifestyle behaviours leads to better MS outcomes

Scientific research has already shown us that making healthy lifestyle choices can positively impact both progression and symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS) (Giovannoni 2024). Last week, a paper published in the European Journal of Neurology showed that adopting multiple healthy behaviours leads to more positive outcomes overall.

Building on a publication from the HOLISM study last year (Fidao 2023), researchers found that people engaging in four or more healthy lifestyle behaviours had more clinically significantly positive outcomes than those engaging in just one or two. These outcomes included a higher mental and physical quality of life, lower fatigue levels, and less disability. 

Across a sample of more than 800 people living with MS, the researchers analysed engagement with up to six lifestyle behaviours:

• a high-quality, plant-based diet  
• 5000 IU or more per day of vitamin D 
• omega-3 supplementation (such as flaxseed oil) 
• 30 minutes or more of physical activity five times per week 
• 30 minutes or more per week of meditation  
• being a non-smoker 

And the findings are really encouraging for those following the Overcoming MS Program, given how closely these measured behaviours align with the Program pillars.

Following the pillars

The Overcoming MS Program encourages people to try and follow as many of the pillars as they can due to the cumulative benefits. For example, managing stress means you are better placed to absorb the nutrients from a high-quality diet and may improve fatigue, pain and mood, which can help you feel better able to engage in physical activity, and so on. This research supports that concept, finding that outcomes are better for those adopting several healthy lifestyle behaviours together.

If you’re someone who has been eating well for a while but has struggled to add in a regular movement practice, or to find a way to manage stress effectively, we hope this might encourage you to try adding in a new lifestyle behaviour. Our 6 months to Overcoming MS online course could really help, as you can choose the behaviour you want to add in to your life, and slowly make it an integral part of living over a six month period. You can find more information about the course here 

Citation: Yu M, Neate S, Nag N, Bevens W, Jelinek G, Simpson-Yap S, Davenport RA, Fidao A, Reece J. Baseline engagement with healthy lifestyles and their associations with health outcomes in people with multiple sclerosis enrolled in an online multimodal lifestyle course. Eur J Neurol. 2024 Aug 7:e16429. doi: 10.1111/ene.16429. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39109838.