Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, inflammatory and autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that most commonly occurs in young women between the ages of 20 and 45 years. The causes of MS are not yet known, but certain risk factors are, such as various dietary factors, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and smoking. In this Master's Thesis, we wanted to find out the dietary behaviors of patients with MS and discover their attitude and understanding about the impact of the diet on the disease itself. The study involved 226 patients with MS. The data was collected using the questionnaire that has been filled by the patients who took part in regular checkups at the Neurology Clinic of the University Medical Center Ljubljana, as well as patients who were reached electronically. We note that the half (50,0 %) of our sample of patients with MS, has changed their dietary habits after receiving the MS diagnosis, in order to improve their MS health condition. We conclude that patients have limited knowledge and a poorer perspective about their diet, which consequently is evident from their eating habits. Based on the study results, we recommend the patients to increase the intake of omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), prebiotics, probiotics, fruit and vegetables, and to replace simple carbohydrates with complex. Adequate nutrition is essential for patients with MS, hence we believe it is important to include dietary analysis and consulting, with the aim to improve patients’ knowledge about nutrition and motivate them to shape positive dietary habits, as part of their health improvement process.
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