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.
Keywords
Ausimmune Study, diet, multiple sclerosis, nitrate, nitric oxide
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
4-1-2025
Article Number
106376
Volume
96
Publication Title
Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funding Information
Funding for the Ausimmune Study was provided by the National MS Society of the United States of America (RG3364A1/2), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (GNT313901) and MS Australia. This study was supported by MSWA. ED and LJB are supported by MS Australia Postdoctoral Fellowships (#22–4–0103 and #21–3–0045, respectively). The salary of CPB is supported by a Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation ‘Lawrie Beilin’ Career Advancement Fellowship (ID: CAF 127/2020) and the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund (ID: WANMA2023/Ideas3). LCB is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Emerging Leadership Investigator Grant (ID: 1172987) and a National Heart Foundation of Australia Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (ID: 102498). The salary of LZ is supported by an Emerging Leaders Fellowship from the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, an initiative of the Western Australian State Government, and a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Ideas Grants (ID: 2028286).
Funding received from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
GNT313901, 1172987, 2028286
Administering Institution
Edith Cowan University
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Content Type
Full object
Recommended Citation
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, Article 106376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msard.2025.106376
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