Assessing the Relationship between Dietary Phytochemical Index and Fatigue Severity in Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Fatemeh Sheykhhosseini; Hamid Reza Gilasi; Sadegh Jafarnejad

doi:10.18502/jimc.v7i3.15733

Fatemeh Sheykhhosseini Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Hamid Reza Gilasi Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Health, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Sadegh Jafarnejad Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v7i3.15733

Keywords: Fatigue, Multiple sclerosis, Phytochemical

Abstract

Background: Phytochemical-rich foods have anti-inflammatory effects and play a role in the prevention and control of inflammatory diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Although some aspects of a diet high in phytochemicals promoting health and preventing chronic diseases are known, further studies are required to confirm the previous findings.

Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated the relationship between Dietary Phytochemical Index (DPI) and fatigue severity in patients with MS. A total of 240 patients aged 18 to 65 years were selected from the MS Association center of Golestan province. A valid and reliable food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate the diet, and fatigue severity was assessed using the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) questionnaire. DPI was calculated using the formula [daily energy from foods rich in phytochemicals (kcal) divided by total daily energy intake (kcal)] and was calculated as 100.

Results: After controlling for potential confounding factors, the highest tertile of DPI had a lower prevalence of fatigue symptoms (odds ratio (OR: 0.27; 95%CI: 0.03-0.36; p=0.012) compared to those in the lowest tertile. The average age of the study participants was 31.9±7.7 years, and the fatigue score scale among the participants was 39.31±11.62.

Conclusion: In conclusion, a significant inverse relationship between DPI and fatigue severity was observed in patients with MS. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.