NAMS: Nutritional therapy in multiple sclerosis

Study Description:
Initial studies and gained experiences suggest a certain impact of nutrition on multiple sclerosis and open up the potential possibility of influencing the disease progression with specific diets.

The NAMS Study is a successor of the IGEL Study that has shown positive results regarding quality of life and blood lipids through fasting therapy and ketogenic diet in patients with multiple sclerosis. The NAMS Study aims to investigate the efficacy of three different diets on central nervous lesions as well as on functional limitations, relapse rate, blood lipids, gut flora, and other parameters.

These diets include:
1. Intermittent fasting, 7 days, 3 times, every 6 months with a daily fasting period of 14 hours

2. Adapted ketogenic diet, a fat-rich and carbohydrate-reduced diet

3. Anti-inflammatory diet, a predominantly plant-based diet referring to the current recommendations of the German Society for Nutrition (DGE).

Patients with relapse remitting multiple sclerosis who are between 18-65 years old can take part in the study. The study visits will take place at Charité Campus Mitte. In total 6 study visits over 18 months are scheduled. The patients will receive disease-related nutritional therapy in small groups. The first cohort started in May 2017 and patients for the following cohort can now be screened.

Contact: Lina Bahr lina.bahr(at)charite.de

Principle Investigators: Prof. Dr. Friedemann Paul (AG Clinical Neuroimmunology, NCRC), Prof. Dr. Andreas Michalsen (Immanuel Hospital)

Registration: The study is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03508414)

Course of the study: 08/2016

Publication:
Bahr, L.S., Bock, M., Liebscher, D. et al. Ketogenic diet and fasting diet as Nutritional Approaches in Multiple Sclerosis (NAMS): protocol of a randomized controlled study. Trials 21, 3 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3928-9