Frontiers in Neurology (Feb 2019)

Higher Non-processed Red Meat Consumption Is Associated With a Reduced Risk of Central Nervous System Demyelination

  • Lucinda J. Black,
  • Gabrielle S. Bowe,
  • Gavin Pereira,
  • Gavin Pereira,
  • Robyn M. Lucas,
  • Robyn M. Lucas,
  • Keith Dear,
  • Ingrid van der Mei,
  • Jill L. Sherriff,
  • the Ausimmune Investigator Group,
  • Caron Chapman,
  • Alan Coulthard,
  • Keith Dear,
  • Terry Dwyer,
  • Trevor Kilpatrick,
  • Robyn Lucas,
  • Tony McMichael (dec),
  • Michael P Pender,
  • Anne-Louise Ponsonby,
  • Bruce Taylor,
  • Patricia Valery,
  • Ingrid van der Mei,
  • David Williams

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2019.00125
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10

Abstract

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The evidence associating red meat consumption and risk of multiple sclerosis is inconclusive. We tested associations between red meat consumption and risk of a first clinical diagnosis of central nervous system demyelination (FCD), often presaging a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. We used food frequency questionnaire data from the 2003–2006 Ausimmune Study, an incident, matched, case-control study examining environmental risk factors for FCD. We calculated non-processed and processed red meat density (g/1,000 kcal/day). Conditional logistic regression models (with participants matched on age, sex, and study region) were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and p-values for associations between non-processed (n = 689, 250 cases, 439 controls) and processed (n = 683, 248 cases, 435 controls) red meat density and risk of FCD. Models were adjusted for history of infectious mononucleosis, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, smoking, race, education, body mass index and dietary misreporting. A one standard deviation increase in non-processed red meat density (22 g/1,000 kcal/day) was associated with a 19% reduced risk of FCD (AOR = 0.81; 95%CI 0.68, 0.97; p = 0.02). When stratified by sex, higher non-processed red meat density (per 22 g/1,000 kcal/day) was associated with a 26% reduced risk of FCD in females (n = 519; AOR = 0.74; 95%CI 0.60, 0.92; p = 0.01). There was no statistically significant association between non-processed red meat density and risk of FCD in males (n = 170). We found no statistically significant association between processed red meat density and risk of FCD. Further investigation is warranted to understand the important components of a diet that includes non-processed red meat for lower FCD risk.

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