Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system that causes focal lesions in grey and white matter (Lassmann, 2018). Although there are individual differences in the course of the disease and significant advances in treatment, MS remains one of the most common causes of neurological disability at young ages (Oh et al., 2018). The etiology of MS is multifactorial; both genetic and environmental factors can contribute to disease development and progression (Ghasemi et al., 2017; Tarlinton et al., 2019). While genetic predisposition explains only a part of the risk, lifestyle and environmental factors can be also important in explaining the risk of MS. Smoking, exposure to organic solvents, shift work, obesity, nutrition and microbiota are associated with an increased risk (Olsson et al., 2017).

High-energy Western-style diet, saturated fatty acids, red meat, high sodium intake and high consumption of added sugars are among nutrition-related risk factors that are important in the development of disease (Labuschagne and Blaauw, 2017). Especially the shift in eating habits towards a Western-style diet can cause systemic inflammation by supporting the production of proinflammatory molecules (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17) and changing the intestinal microbiota composition (Labuschagne and Blaauw, 2018; Fanara et al., 2021). After diagnosis, steroid therapy and a sedentary lifestyle due to progressive disability may increase the risk of obesity and its characteristic complications (Mogiłko and Malgorzewicz, 2023). However, in later stages, weight loss and even cachexia appear as risk factors in patients with MS. Possible causes of body weight loss include decreased mobility and fatigue, other neurological disabilities affecting food consumption and loss of appetite (Burgos et al., 2018). Therefore, it is important to evaluate the nutritional status and regulate nutritional habits in every stage of the disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the nutritional status of MS patients and develop suggestions for changing eating habits in a healthy direction.