There hasn’t been much research on diet and MS, but it’s been hypothesized that hypercaloric and proinflammatory diets like the Western diet may be harmful for MS.[1] Additionally, people who had obesity (BMI of at least 30 kg/m2) in childhood to young adulthood have about double the risk of developing MS as people who did not have obesity during this time period.[2]
How could diet affect multiple sclerosis?
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•Last Updated: May 16, 2025
Research on the effect of diet on multiple sclerosis (MS) is limited, but it suggests that hypercaloric and proinflammatory diets, such as the Western diet, may be detrimental. Furthermore, people who experienced obesity during childhood to young adulthood have approximately double the risk of developing MS compared to those without obesity during that period.