[Pattern of diet and supplement consumption among multiple sclerotic patients pre and post diagnosis and their attitudes toward the effects of these parameters on disease progression]

ABSTRACT

Multiple Sclerosis [MS] is one of the central nervous system white matter disorders, with variable prevalence in various districts. Some researches proposed the probable effects of diet as a risk factor in the etiology and control of MS due to its variety of patterns in diverse cultures and regions. Determination of the MS patients' dietary habits, before and after diagnosis of the disease and their attitude toward the effect of dietary parameters on the disease progression. In this cross-sectional study, A total of 166 confirmed MS patients referred to Tabriz MS society during 2005 to 2006 were assessed by a pretested questionnaire composed of 3 sections of questions about demographic informations, dietary habits pre and post disease diagnosis, weight and appetite changes and also changes in dietary patterns after diagnosis. Data were analyzed by t-student test and qi2 in SPSS version 16. A total of 122 women and 44 men participated with the mean age of 31.97 +/- 9.21 years, and the mean age of diagnosis 28.33 +/- 8.84 years, in this study. As revealed, 79.8% of the patients didn't change their dietary patterns mainly because of their inattention to probable effect of nutrition on symptoms of disease in 80% of cases. There was a significant change in the type of using oil that reduced the disease severity among 50% of the patients. Also, there was a significant increase in the usage of dietary supplement and fish oil and a significant decrease in tendency toward egg, sugar, and pickles, following the disease. The patients suggested that fruits, milk, olive and its oil, vegetables, fish and nuts are sequentially alleviating the symptoms but pickles, hot [chilli] foods, confectionary products, fried foods, conserved food and red meat aggrevating the symptoms. From patients' viewpoints, dietary patterns and supplements are somehow effective on the symptoms of multiple sclerosis