Higher Non-processed Red Meat Consumption Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Central Nervous System Demyelination

Abstract

The evidence associating red meat consumption and risk of multiple sclerosis is inconclusive. We tested associations between red meat consumption and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), often presaging a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. We used food frequency questionnaire data from the 2003–2006 Ausimmune Study, an incident, matched, case-control study examining environmental risk factors for FCD. We calculated non-processed and processed red meat density (g/1,000 kcal/day). Conditional logistic regression models (with participants matched on age, sex, and study region) were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and p- values for associations between non-processed ( n = 689, 250 cases, 439 controls) and processed ( n = 683, 248 cases, 435 controls) red meat density and risk of FCD. Models were adjusted for history of infectious mononucleosis, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, smoking, race, education, body mass index and dietary misreporting. A one standard deviation increase in non-processed red meat density (22 g/1,000 kcal/day) was associated with a 19% reduced risk of FCD (AOR = 0.81; 95%CI 0.68, 0.97; p = 0.02). When stratified by sex, higher non-processed red meat density (per 22 g/1,000 kcal/day) was associated with a 26% reduced risk of FCD in females ( n = 519; AOR = 0.74; 95%CI 0.60, 0.92; p = 0.01). There was no statistically significant association between non-processed red meat density and risk of FCD in males ( n = 170). We found no statistically significant association between processed red meat density and risk of FCD. Further investigation is warranted to understand the important components of a diet that includes non-processed red meat for lower FCD risk.

A Higher Mediterranean Diet Score, Including Unprocessed Red Meat, Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Central Nervous System Demyelination in a Case-Control Study of Australian Adults

“…The incidence of MS is increasing globally, with a suggested role for environmental risk factors, including low sun exposure, low vitamin D status, smoking and history of infectious mononucleosis (2). Poor diet may be a modifiable risk factor for MS onset; however, the evidence is inconclusive and many studies have assessed single foods or nutrients (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16), rather than dietary patterns. The latter captures information about total diet, including the interactions that may occur between food components (17).…”

“…It is one of the largest, most well-characterized samples of people with early MS worldwide. We previously found that higher intake of very long chain omega-3 PUFAs (VLCn3PUFAs) (12), higher unprocessed red meat consumption (16) and greater adherence to a healthy dietary pattern (15) were associated with reduced risk of FCD in the Ausimmune Study. To build on this evidence, we tested associations between a Mediterranean diet and risk of FCD using data from the Ausimmune Study.…”

Xenogeneic Neu5Gc and self-glycan Neu5Ac epitopes are potential immune targets in MS

“…13 Despite the absence of endogenously produced Neu5Gc, experimental studies in humans and in Cmah −/− mice revealed that dietary Neu5Gc can become incorporated into tissues in trace amounts, essentially making Neu5Gc a dietary "xeno-autoantigen", and transfer of Neu5Gc-specific polyclonal IgG antibodies to Cmah −/− mice fed with Neu5Gc was shown to promote systemic inflammation. [13][14][15][16] Based on the aforementioned studies, it has been proposed that anti-Neu5Gc antibodies may contribute to the development of various human chronic inflammatory diseases that are not seen in great apes, such as MS. 15,17,18 Although healthy diets have been associated with a reduced risk to develop MS, 19 studies investigating red meat consumption and risk of MS have been inconclusive so far, [20][21][22] and it is unknown whether and to which extend dietary Neu5Gc can be incorporated into tissues including the CNS. However, given the structural similarity between Neu5Gc and Neu5Ac and the large overlap of reactivities toward both carbohydrate epitopes in individual patients, systemically increased IgG responses to both terminal glycan structures in patients with MS might partly result from cross-reactive antibody species 23 : exposure to a dietary xenoantigen expressed in peripheral tissues could elicit immune reactivity to a self-antigen, reexpressed upon myelin injury in MS lesions.…”

Higher fish consumption and lower risk of central nervous system demyelination

“…The Ausimmune Study is one of the largest, most wellcharacterised samples of people with early MS worldwide. Previously, higher vitamin D status [16], higher VLCn3PUFA intakes (largely from fish, but also including small amounts from commonly-consumed meats, such as beef and ham) [17], a higher healthy dietary pattern score [9], and higher unprocessed red meat consumption [18] have been associated with reduced risk of FCD in the Ausimmune Study. We build on these studies by examining the associations between fish consumption and risk of FCD using data from the Ausimmune Study.…”