High intake of plant-based fatty acids may lower MS risk

[MSUK]

Eating walnuts and cooking with canola oil may be the next trend in reducing the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study presented at the Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) suggests... Read more - http://www.ms-uk.org/MSnews

[NHE]

The study results suggest PUFA intake from plants was driving the association. The MS risk for α linolenic acid was significantly lower in the highest vs lowest intake groups. The HR was also lower for intake of linoleic acid in this high-intake group.

"We see that those people who get PUFAs from a plant-based diet, for example from vegetable oils, have a lower risk," said Dr. Bjørnevik. "This is surprising because it's not something we have seen earlier."

In addition to walnuts and canola oil, foods rich in these plant-based PUFAs include flax seeds and linseed oils, said Dr Bjørnevik. PUFAs are not found in high amounts in olive oil, which contains a different type of fatty acid, he said.

The article should be more clearly written. It's not simply "plant-based PUFAs" from "vegetable oils." The effect seen was due to the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid.