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HomeResearchNatalie 2020

Dietary interventions for multiple sclerosis-related outcomes

Natalie E Parks, Caitlin S Jackson-Tarlton, Laura Vacchi, Roah Merdad, Bradley C Johnston. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020;5(5):CD004192.

Meta-analysisHumans

Design
Meta-analysis
Subjects
30 randomised or controlled trials (41 articles) in adults with multiple sclerosis; palmitoylethanolamide was one of six 'other supplement' trials
Dose used in the study
Not stated in the abstract for palmitoylethanolamide
Duration
Not stated in the abstract
What was measured
Relapses, disability progression, MRI activity, serious adverse events and patient-reported outcomes for dietary interventions versus placebo or another intervention, with Cochrane methods and GRADE certainty

What the authors reported

This meta-analysis found:

  • All 30 trials had at least one issue giving unknown or high risk of bias.
  • PUFA versus MUFA showed no difference in relapses (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.20; 217 participants, very low certainty).
  • Antioxidants versus placebo also showed no difference (RR 0.98, 0.59 to 1.64; 345 participants, low certainty).
  • The authors say evidence is insufficient to show whether antioxidants or other supplements, including PEA, change MS outcomes.

Limits of this study

A Cochrane review; the abstract pools no PEA-specific results, so the single PEA trial's findings are not reported here. Natalie Parks has consulted for and received funds from Biogen, EMD Serono, Roche and Sanofi Genzyme; Bradley Johnston received an institutional start-up grant.

Source

PubMed 32428983 · doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004192.pub4

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.