Serafina Salvati and Antonella Di Biase
The effect of nutrition and dietary supplements on the course of multiple sclerosis is a topic of great interest
to both patients and clinicians. The influence of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on the development and
course of multiple sclerosis (MS) has been under investigation. A number of small, uncontrolled clinical trials with
fish oil (rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 ω-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 ω-3) have indicated
a possible beneficial effects of ω-3 PUFAs, but controlled trials have not been able to draw definitive conclusions.
Among ω-3 PUFAs, EPA has the most potent effect on myelinogenesis and inflammatory process, thus the conflicting
results could be due to the different mixtures of EPA and DHA contained in the various sources of fish oil. This review
discusses on the possible role of EPA in demyelinating diseases.