Cutting edge research will explore the link between diet and the onset of MS in children

New research from Curtin University will investigate the largely unknown role of diet – including ultra-processed foods, fish and dairy products – in the onset of multiple sclerosis (MS) in children.

 

Dr Eleanor Dunlop will lead the study, which is funded by MS Australia, and hopes that new insights from the study may lead to the creation of evidence-based dietary advice for children at high risk of developing MS.

 

“There has been a considerable increase in the number of children being diagnosed with  MS in recent years and while it remains rare in children, those with a family history of MS are known to be at greater risk of developing the disease,” Dr Dunlop said.

 

“Although nutritional factors have long been of interest in multiple sclerosis research, little is known about the influence of diet on the likelihood of a child developing MS.”

 

Dr Dunlop said the new research would draw on dietary intake information collected from children with MS and healthy children as part of a study conducted in Canada, led by Professor Helen Tremlett at the University of British Columbia.

 

“Using this information, we will investigate whether diets, foods or nutrients may help to reduce the risk of children developing MS,” Dr Dunlop said.

 

The influence of several dietary factors, including consuming ultra-processed foods, dairy products, fish and other nutrients, will be explored in relation to their link with the onset of MS in childhood, with the findings to provide evidence to support dietary guidance for children at high risk of developing MS.

For more information about Dr Dunlop and her research, please see here.