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What’s the Connection Between Gut Health and MS?

By U.S. News & World Report

Only a decade ago, most scientists thought the gut was responsible for digestion. That was the beginning and end of the story. Turns out, there’s much more to the tale.

“We now know there are trillions of microorganisms in the large and small intestines, and 90 percent of our immune system is in the gut,” says Dr. David A. Hafler, professor of neurology and immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine. “Because multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease, a chronic condition in which the body abnormally attacks parts of its own nervous system, scientists are looking into the role of bacteria in our guts ( microbiome) and how it might influence MS.”

[See: 10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore.]

“In MS, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibers and causes communication problems between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the rest of the body. Eventually, the disease can cause the nerves themselves to deteriorate or become permanently damaged,” the Mayo Clinic website states. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says signs and symptoms of MS vary widely and depend on the amount of nerve damage and which nerves are affected. Common symptoms of MS include fatigue, vision problems, difficulty walking, muscle weakness, stiffness and spasms, and bladder and bowel problems.

Not all 400,000 people in the U.S. diagnosed with MS have the same symptoms, but researchers are finding they share one thing in common: different kinds of bacteria in their guts than people who don’t have MS. Specifically, a 2014 study in the journal Neurology conducted by scientists at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston showed that patients with MS have more archaea (a microbe that triggers inflammation) and less butyricimonas (a microbe with anti-inflammatory properties) than people who don’t have MS.

Although researchers can’t confirm the microbiome is linked to autoimmune diseases, mounting evidence is pointing in that direction. These findings can have broad implications. “Since gut bacteria influences inflammation and the immune system, MS isn’t the only autoimmune disease that’s affected by the amount or the type of bacteria in the gut,” explains Dr. Augusto Miravalle, associate professor of neurology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. “Other autoimmune illnesses, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, colitis and asthma are also affected by bacterial balance.”

But Hafler points out that this isn’t the whole picture, either. “There are a number of other factors at work when it comes to the gut connection. We know that MS is caused by a combination of environmental and genetic influences. In order for gut bacteria to be a trigger, a person would also need a genetic predisposition to developing an autoimmune disease such as MS.”

The genetic component may be why the link between the gut and autoimmune attacks in MS begin early in life. A 2016 University of British Columbia study, reported in the journal BioMed Central, examined gut bacteria and immune markers in 15 children with MS and nine children without the disease. The researchers found certain types of gut bacteria and specific immune markers in the children with MS and not with the healthy children.

[See: 11 Ways Rural Life Is Hazardous to Your Health.]

Scientists have also discovered geography is in play when it comes to gut bacteria and multiple sclerosis. “For example, MS sufferers living in California have a different microbiome than patients living in New York,” Miravalle says. “But that might be associated with the amount of sunlight and vitamin D. We still don’t know.” Still, the geographic-gut bacteria-MS connection appears so promising, the National MS society has funded the MS Microbiome Consortium, which brings microbiome and geographical data together in order to explore the relationship.

Another gut factor influencing the development and frequency of relapse in MS appears to be salt intake. “There have been a few reports showing that salt can hasten MS-like disease by influencing the microbiome and autoimmune reaction,”Miravalle says, pointing to a study of 16 people published in the August 2014 Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. The study showed that people with MS who had higher sodium intake were at approximately three times higher risk for an increase in symptoms as well as disease activity, compared with those with lower sodium intake.

Even though diets high in salt have been associated with high relapse rate in adults, this link has not been found in pediatric MS. However, high fat intake has been associated with increased relapse in children with multiple sclerosis, according to research presented at the 32nd Congress of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS.

A microbiome theory that affects both pediatric and adult MS is intestinal permeability, more commonly known as “leaky gut syndrome.” The connection has been gaining steam in the MS research community for the past several years. “Leaky gut is a condition that allows harmful substances like toxins, microbes and waste to pass out of the intestines and into the body cavity,” Hafler explains. In a 2014 study published in PLOS ONE, researchers at Lund University in Sweden found a link between increased permeability of the intestines and MS, but only in a lab setting. The scientists looked at intestinal tissue from mice infected with an MS-like disease and found not only was leaky gut involved, but there was also increased inflammation in the intestinal mucous membranes of the mice even before they showed symptoms of MS. “Inflammation plays a role in MS, as inflammatory T-cells attack the protective myelin coating of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord,” Miravalle explains.

[See: 5 Rare Diseases You’ve Never Heard of (Until Now).]

For now, most of the research into gut bacteria and MS is still in a comparatively early stage, and for the most part, human studies are focusing on describing the microbiome of MS patients. “While these studies show a link,”Hafler says, “we still don’t know if the bacteria are different because of MS or if the changes in types of bacteria can cause MS or contribute to relapses.”

Stay tuned for updates.

More from U.S. News

10 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

5 Rare Diseases You’ve Never Heard Of (Until Now)

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What’s the Connection Between Gut Health and MS? originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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