Gluten intolerance is typically associated with celiac disease, but experts have also found a relationship with several other autoimmune and neurological conditions as well.Multiple sclerosis, which is considered to be primarily an autoimmune disease or a neurodegenerative disease, depending on your school of thought, seems to have a relationship with gluten that begs the question: can going gluten-free help with multiple sclerosis?
Throughout the years, I have known and spoken with numerous individuals who live with multiple sclerosis. They and some of my readers have shared their concerns and experiences with dietary changes and their impact on MS symptoms. Some have been mildly to profoundly happy with the results of removing gluten from their diet, citing a reduction in fatigue, pain, and other symptoms, while others have not enjoyed these benefits. So, is going gluten-free worth a try?
Read more about health benefits of a gluten-free diet
Celiac and multiple sclerosis
In addition to the existence of positive anecdotal evidence, some scientific research also suggests gluten-free may be a good option for people who have MS. For one thing, there appears to be an increased prevalence of celiac disease/gluten intolerance among people who have multiple sclerosis.
The authors of a 2011 article in BMC Neurology, for example, pointed out that while the mean prevalence of celiac disease is 1 to 2 percent among the general population, their investigations found a higher prevalence among people with MS and their relatives. They came to this conclusion by analyzing various biological markets for celiac disease in 72 individuals with multiple sclerosis plus 126 of their first-degree relatives and compared them with 123 healthy controls.
The findings were somewhat amazing: 11.1 percent of the patients with multiple sclerosis and 32 percent of their first-degree relatives had celiac disease. These discoveries caused the authors to recommended “increased efforts aimed at the early detection and dietary treatment of CD [celiac disease] among antibody-positive MS patients.”
A prior study explored the same question. The research team in this study evaluated the levels of various antibodies in 98 individuals who had multiple sclerosis. Among the antibodies observed were those considered to be anti-gluten antibodies; namely, anti-gliadin IgG and IgA, in which Ig stands for immunoglobulin or antibody; and antitissue transglutaminase antibodies.
The investigators found a “highly significant increase in titers of immunoglobulin G antibodies against gliadin and tissue transglutaminase” in the individuals with multiple sclerosis. Based on this finding the authors recommended that a gluten-free diet be considered in patients with multiple sclerosis who have gluten antibodies.
The authors of an even earlier study pointed out that the antibodies that target gluten and gliadin may have a role in the development of multiple sclerosis by affecting the blood-brain barrier. That is, they discovered that antibodies in people with celiac had the ability to react with blood vessels in the brain and thus might be involved in abnormal nervous system function.
Gluten-free and multiple sclerosis
What does any of this mean for people who have multiple sclerosis? Unfortunately, the relationship between gluten and multiple sclerosis and its causes and symptoms is not clear. The few research studies on the topic suggest some patients may be harboring gluten intolerance and thus could well benefit from a gluten-free diet. Among some of the improvements people have reported anecdotally are an improvement in concentration and thinking ability, less fatigue, improvement in strength, reduced pain, and elimination of gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.
Read more about where gluten may be hiding in your diet
For people with multiple sclerosis, going gluten-free is a treatment alternative that could provide significant relief. Like any treatment option, it will not work for everyone nor have the same impact on those it does help. However, it is a noninvasive, non-drug choice that could change one’s life for the better.
Image: Garry Knight
