Author Identifier

Catherine P. Bondonno: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8509-439X

Liezhou Zhong: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6847-4240

Lauren Blekkenhorst: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1561-9052

Jonathan M. Hodgson: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6184-7764

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders

Volume

96

Publisher

Elsevier

School

Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences

Publication Unique Identifier

10.1016/j.msard.2025.106376

Funders

National MS Society of the United States of America (RG3364A1/2) / National Health and Medical Research Council / MSWA / MS Australia Postdoctoral Fellowships (22–4–0103, 21–3–0045) / Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation ‘Lawrie Beilin’ Career Advancement Fellowship (CAF 127/2020) / Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund (WANMA2023/Ideas3) / National Health and Medical Research Council / National Heart Foundation of Australia Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (102498)

Grant Number

NHMRC Numbers : GNT313901, 1172987, 2028286

Comments

Mazahery, H., Black, L. J., Daly, A., Banjac, M., Bondonno, C. P., Zhong, L., ... & Ausimmune Investigator Group. (2025). Higher dietary nitrate intake is associated with lower likelihood of first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination in Australian women. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 96, 106376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2025.106376

Abstract

Dietary nitrate is a precursor to nitric oxide, for which plausible mechanisms exist for both beneficial and detrimental influences in first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), a common precursor to the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Whether dietary nitrate has any role in FCD onset is unclear. We tested associations between nitrate intake from food sources (plant, vegetable, animal, processed meat, and unprocessed meat) and likelihood of FCD. We used data from the Ausimmune Study (264 cases, 474 controls) and logistic regression with full propensity score matching. In females, higher nitrate intake from plant-based foods (odds ratio [OR] per 60 mg/day = 0.50; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 0.31, 0.81; p = <0.01) and vegetables (OR per 60 mg/day = 0.39; 95 % CI 0.22, 0.70; p = <0.01), but not other sources, was statistically significantly associated with lower likelihood of FCD. In males, no associations were found between any source of nitrate intake and likelihood of FCD. Our results support further research to explore a possible beneficial role for plant-derived nitrate in people at higher risk of MS.

DOI

10.1016/j.msard.2025.106376

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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Neurosciences Commons

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