Study indicates this dietary molecule may be beneficial for MSPublished: 17 February 2023 A new study has shown that consuming omega 3 fatty acid may be beneficial to people with multiple sclerosis (MS) after it reduced inflammation and disease severity in a mouse model. Previous studies have suggested omega 3 fatty acids could have ait-inflammatory effects. Omega 3 fatty acid is predominantly found in oily fish. Researchers investigated the effects of DHEA, a molecule in omega 3 fatty acid. Mice with experimental autoimmune encephalitis, a mouse model of MS, had DHEA injected into their abdomens. The rodents treated with DHEA developed MS symptoms more slowly than mice given an inactive solution. The study found that some mice didn’t respond to the DHEA treatment. In some of the DHEA-treated mice, there were longer remission periods between the beginning of their disease and another relapse, while some developed MS at the same time as the mice who weren’t treated. When analysed, tissue from the nervous system of the mice had a reduced number of inflammatory T-cells – something the researchers had shown DHEA to be capable of doing with cells in dishes in the lab. They concluded that DHEA can affect T-cell polarisation and affect T-cell effector function, which gives a positive outcome in MS and autoimmune disease in general, and this supports the theory that omega 3 may be beneficial for people with MS. Other Stories You May Be Interested In... News Number of people living with MS in UK increases View article News Study finds MS may marginally increase cervical cancer risk View article News Antibodies detected in blood of 10% of MS patients years before diagnosis View article