EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL 4 PM ET, March 01, 2018
Eating Fish May Be Tied to a Reduced Risk of MS
Study Recommends Just How Much Fish May Be Beneficial
MINNEAPOLIS -
Eating fish one to three times per month in addition to taking daily fish oil supplements may be associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis (MS),聽according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the 好色先生鈥檚聽70th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles, April 21 to 27, 2018. These findings suggest that聽the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish may be associated with lowering the risk聽of developing MS. Multiple sclerosis is a聽disease of the central nervous system that affects communication between the聽brain and other parts of the body. With MS, the body鈥檚 immune聽system attacks myelin, the fatty white substance that insulates and protects the nerves. This disrupts the signals between the brain and the rest of the聽body. Symptoms of MS may include fatigue, numbness, tingling or difficulty walking. The first episode of MS symptoms, lasting at least 24 hours, is known as clinically isolated syndrome. There is no cure for MS. 鈥淐onsuming聽fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to have a variety of health benefits, so we wanted to see if this simple lifestyle modification,聽regularly eating fish and taking fish oil supplements, could reduce the risk of聽MS,鈥 said study author Annette Langer-Gould, MD,聽PhD, of Kaiser聽Permanente Southern California in Pasadena, Calif., and a member of the American聽Academy of Neurology. For this聽study, researchers examined the diets of 1,153 people with an average age of 36聽from a variety of backgrounds, about half of whom had been diagnosed with MS or clinically isolated syndrome. Participants聽were asked about how much fish they regularly ate. High fish intake was defined聽as either eating one serving of fish per week or eating one to three servings per month in addition to taking daily fish oil supplements. Low intake was聽defined as less than one serving of fish per month and no fish oil supplements.聽Examples of fish consumed by study participants include shrimp, salmon and tuna. The study聽found that high fish intake was associated with a 45 percent reduced risk of MS聽or clinically isolated syndrome when compared with those who ate fish less than聽once a month and did not take fish oil supplements. A total of 180 of those with MS had high fish intake compared to 251 of the healthy controls. The study also聽looked at 13 genetic variations in a human gene cluster that regulates fatty聽acid levels. Researchers found two of the 13 genetic variations examined were associated with a lower risk of MS, even after accounting for the higher fish聽intake. This may mean that some people may have a genetic advantage when it聽comes to regulating fatty acid levels. While the聽study suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, and how they are processed by the body,聽may play an important role in reducing MS risk, Langer-Gould emphasizes that it聽simply shows an association and not cause and effect. More research is needed聽to confirm the findings and to examine how omega-3 fatty acids may affect inflammation, metabolism and nerve function. Fish such as聽salmon, sardines, lake trout and albacore tuna are generally recommended as聽good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The study was聽supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Learn more about multiple sclerosis聽at .
