Ann Nutr Food Sci | Volume 5, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access

Dietary Habits and Depression among Greek Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Psylinakis E, Kounelaki V, Thalassinos N, Markaki AG and Spyridaki A*

Department of Nutrition and Dietetics Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU), Greece

*Correspondance to: Aspasia Spyridaki 

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Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease with no complete cure. Although dietary factors have been implicated in both the onset and the progression of the disease, there are still no official dietary guidelines. The present pilot study aimed to investigate dietary habits and depression in MS patients and to explore possible associations. Thirty multiple sclerosis patients were recruited via the Greek Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dietary habits were assessed with a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and depression was evaluated by using the Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire. The study showed that fish consumption was high (≥ 2 servings/week) for 70% of the patients. More than half of the patients consumed dairy products on a weekly basis. The majority of patients reported daily consumption of olive oil. Sixty percent of the patients consumed at least 2 servings of red meat per week. Fruit and vegetable intake was less than 2 servings/day (for each food group separately), for most patients. Forty percent of the patients consumed snacks (mostly cake, biscuits and chocolate) on a weekly basis. Furthermore, the prevalence of depression was 33.3% mild, 10% moderate and 10% severe depression. The level of depression was inversely associated with chocolate consumption (r= -0.526, p=0.003). In conclusion, the dietary habits of the majority of patients were characterized by high consumption of red meat and low consumption of fruits and vegetables. Depression was highly prevalent among the patients, which exhibited an inverse association with chocolate consumption. The study underlined the need for dietary management in MS patients.

Keywords:

Multiple sclerosis; Dietary habits; Food frequency questionnaire; Nutrition; Depression

Citation:

Psylinakis E, Kounelaki V, Thalassinos N, Markaki AG, Spyridaki A. Dietary Habits and Depression among Greek Multiple Sclerosis Patients. Ann Nutr Food Sci. 2022; 5(1): 1048..

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