Apparently, alcohol consumption is inversely correlated with developing multiple sclerosis. A new study by the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden concludes that drinking alcohol can cut the risk in half for men and by 40 percent for women compared to people completely abstaining from alcohol.

“You can drink alcohol without being afraid that the risk of MS will increase,” Anna Hedstrom, M.D., a researcher at the institute and co-author of the study, said in an email. “Most people do not think about [their MS] risk, but they might if the disease runs in the family.” 

The researchers investigated the association using two population studies in Sweden. The participants were between the ages of 16 and 70 years: 745 cases of MS plus 1,761 controls in the Epidemiological Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis (EIMS) study and 5,874 cases of MS with 5,246 controls in the Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS) study. The participants answered questionnaires over a five-year period that outlined drinking habits. The study was adjusted for gender, residential area, ancestry, smoking, body mass index at age 20, and age.

The investigators discovered that while alcohol type doesn’t matter, the amount drank does. 

Women who drank more than four ounces of alcoholic beverages per week – the rough equivalent to a small glass of wine – were at the most reduced risk for multiple sclerosis. Men who drank more than six ounces of alcoholic beverage weekly – large glass of wine – also noticed the benefits.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system and the brain. When an individual has multiple sclerosis, his or her body’s immune system is disrupted, often causing debilitating pain, numbness, fatigue and memory loss. 

“MS is an inflammatory disorder. There is extensive evidence that moderate alcohol consumption exerts anti-inflammatory effects,” Dr. Hedstrom added. 

Peter Joseph Jongen, MD, PhD, a neurologist at the MS4 Research Institute in the Netherlands said, “It's conceivable that alcohol could reduce inflammation. As a result from the reduced immune response then there's less (immune system) attack on the (nerve) tissue, and that would translate into an outcome, but it's contingent on many factors.”

Although the effect of alcohol on already established multiple sclerosis has not been studied, the data may have relevance for clinical practice since they give no support for advising persons with multiple sclerosis to completely refrain from alcohol.

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