Women with MS: Links to Low Levels of Key Nutrients

Stuart SchlossmanMultiple Sclerosis, Nutrition

Women with multiple sclerosis have been found to have lower levels of important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, as compared to women without the disease, according to a recent study done by the American Academy of Neurology.
Dr. Sandra D. Cassard along with other researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said that their findings could be important for the prevention and treatment of MS.
MS affects an estimated 400,000 people in the United States and almost 200 new diagnoses each week, according to Medical News Today.
“Since MS is a chronic inflammatory disorder, having enough nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties may help prevent the disease or reduce the risk of attacks for those who already have MS,” said Cassard.
The study monitored a total of 57 non-obese white women ages 18-60, over the course of one year prior to starting vitamin D supplementation. The study consisted of 27 women who have MS and 30 who do not have the disease.
The study was able to determine that women who had MS in fact had lower levels of five key nutrients that had anti-inflammatory or antioxidant properties.
The five nutrients included:
– Food folate
– Vitamin E
– Magnesium
– Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin
– Quercetin
For food folate, the recommended daily intake is 400 micrograms (mcg). Women with MS had a substantially lower intake at 244 mcg, compared with healthy women whose average intake was 321 mcg.
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