Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased likelihood of central nervous system demyelination in a case-control study of Australian adults

Adriana Mannino; Alison Daly; Eleanor Dunlop; Yasmine Probst; Anne-Louise Ponsonby; Ingrid A F van der Mei; Ausimmune Investigator Group; Lucinda J Black

doi:10.1038/s41430-023-01271-1

Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased likelihood of central nervous system demyelination in a case-control study of Australian adults

Eur J Clin Nutr. 2023 May;77(5):611-614. doi: 10.1038/s41430-023-01271-1. Epub 2023 Feb 8.

Authors

Adriana Mannino¹, Alison Daly¹, Eleanor Dunlop¹, Yasmine Probst^{2

3}, Anne-Louise Ponsonby^{4

5}, Ingrid A F van der Mei⁶; Ausimmune Investigator Group; Lucinda J Black^{7

8}

Collaborators

Ausimmune Investigator Group:
Caron Chapman, Alan Coulthard, Keith Dear, Terry Dwyer, Trevor Kilpatrick, Robyn Lucas, Tony McMichael, Anne-Louise Ponsonby, Bruce Taylor, Patricia Valery, Ingrid A F van der Mei, David Williams

Affiliations

¹ Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
² Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
⁵ Department of Neuroepidemiology, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
⁶ Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
⁷ Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. lucinda.black@curtin.edu.au.
⁸ Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. lucinda.black@curtin.edu.au.

Abstract

Background: Consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has been linked to risk of chronic diseases, with scant evidence in relation to multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: We tested associations between UPF consumption and likelihood of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD) (267 cases, 508 controls), a common precursor to MS. We used data from the 2003-2006 Ausimmune Study and logistic regression with full propensity score matching for age, sex, region of residence, education, smoking history, body mass index, physical activity, history of infectious mononucleosis, dietary misreporting, and total energy intake.

Results: Higher UPF consumption was statistically significantly associated with an increased likelihood of FCD (adjusted odds ratio = 1.08; 95% confidence interval = 1.0,1.15; p = 0.039), representing an 8% increase in likelihood of FCD per one energy-adjusted serving/day of UPFs.

Conclusion: Higher intakes of UPF were associated with increased likelihood of FCD in this Australian cohort. Nutrition education and awareness of healthy eating patterns may benefit those at high risk of FCD.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Australia / epidemiology
Case-Control Studies
Central Nervous System
Demyelinating Diseases* / epidemiology
Demyelinating Diseases* / etiology
Diet / adverse effects
Energy Intake
Fast Foods / adverse effects
Food Handling
Food, Processed*
Humans

Supplementary concepts

Australians