The effects of intermittent fasting for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): a systematic review

Xiaoxiao Lin; Shuai Wang; Yue Gao

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1328426

The effects of intermittent fasting for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS): a systematic review

Front Nutr. 2024 Jan 17:10:1328426. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1328426. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xiaoxiao Lin^{1

2}, Shuai Wang³, Yue Gao^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geriatrics, Affiliated Hangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Westlake University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of Senile Chronic Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Some studies have investigated the impact of intermittent fasting (IF) for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). We aimed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to analyze and summarize all clinical studies concerning the effects of IF on patients with MS. We conducted an exhaustive review of information available in the Embase, Cochrane, and PubMed databases up until 1 September 2023. All clinical research relating to the impacts of IF for patients with MS were included. In total, this systematic review encompassed 5 studies, which included four RCTs and one pilot study. Each study involved was assessed of high quality. The results from these studies demonstrate that IF protocols could potentially serve as an effective dietary strategy for managing symptoms and improving the quality of life in individuals afflicted with MS. In conclusion, IF might be a potential beneficial dietary intervention for MS. However, the number of trials in this field is relatively limited. The large-scale clinical trials to investigate the effects of IF for MS are urgently needed, which may be helpful to manage this intricate neuroimmune disorder.

Systematic review registration: https://inplasy.com, identifier INPLASY2023100021.

Keywords: autoimmune disease; effects; intermittent fasting (IF); multiple sclerosis (MS); systematic review.

Publication types

Systematic Review

Grants and funding

The authors declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This research was supported by the Construction Fund of Key Medical Disciplines of Hangzhou (No. OO20200055).