AbstractBackground Diets are increasingly dominated by ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to several chronic diseases. Emerging evidence suggests an association between ultra-processed food consumption and inflammatory diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective To assess associations between consumption of ultra-processed foods and paediatric-onset MS (PoMS). Methods We used data from the microbiome sub-study of the Canadian Pediatric Demyelinating Disease Network Study for PoMS cases (symptom onset aged Results Dietary data were collected from PoMS participants (females=57, males=23) aged 5-28 years and controls (females=30, males=16) aged 8-26 years. Each additional 10% in ultra-processed food consumption was associated with a 35% higher odds of being a PoMS participant (adjusted odds ratio aOR=1.35, 95% CI 1.05, 1.73). Participants in the highest (versus lowest) tertile for ultra-processed food consumption had over five times higher odds of being a PoMS participant (aOR=5.30, 95% CI 1.36, 20.70). Conclusion Participants with PoMS reported greater consumption of ultra-processed foods compared to unaffected peers. More comprehensive longitudinal dietary histories are required to better understand this observation.
Machado et al. (Sun,) studied this question.