A comprehensive review found that cannabis constituents and "endocannabinoid-enhancing" compounds could complement MS pharmacotherapy by combining anti-spastic and analgesic effects with potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties.
Read this if you have MS and are interested in nutritional or natural compound approaches alongside standard treatment.
Cannabis compounds offer dual symptom relief and disease modification potential
What the researchers found
This extensive review examined nutritional and natural compounds as potential disease-modifying agents for multiple sclerosis. Among many compounds reviewed (vitamin D, fatty acids, probiotics, green tea, curcumin), cannabis constituents stood out for their dual role.
Cannabis compounds and "endocannabinoid-enhancing" nutraceuticals like FAAH inhibitors could provide both symptom relief (spasticity, pain) and disease modification through anti-inflammatory, immune-modifying, and antioxidant mechanisms. Many also inhibit pro-inflammatory NF-kB signaling and stabilize the blood-brain barrier.
The review concluded that while nutraceuticals alone would not solve MS therapeutic challenges, they could support pharmacological interventions or reveal novel drug structures.
Why it matters
MS patients increasingly seek complementary approaches. This review provides an evidence-based assessment of which natural compounds, including cannabis-derived ones, have biological plausibility for disease modification rather than just symptom relief.
The numbers in context
Compounds reviewed: vitamin D, fatty acids, probiotics, cannabis constituents, green tea (EGCG), curcumin, sulforaphane, FAAH inhibitors; mechanisms: NF-kB inhibition, TLR modulation, blood-brain barrier stabilization
How the study worked
Comprehensive review of nutritional and natural compounds with potential disease-modifying activity in MS, including evidence from experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis models and clinical studies.
What this study cannot tell us
Review covers many compounds with widely varying evidence levels. Most evidence from animal models. Nutraceutical dosing, bioavailability, and quality control are poorly standardized. Interactions with MS medications not well studied.
How to read the evidence
Extensive review of a wide range of compounds with varying evidence quality, primarily from preclinical studies.
When this study was published
Published in 2015. Research on complementary approaches for MS has continued to expand.
The bigger picture
The concept of "disease-modifying nutraceuticals" bridges the gap between pharmaceutical treatments and lifestyle interventions for MS. Cannabis compounds fit uniquely into this space because they address both symptoms and underlying mechanisms.
Questions still open
- Can nutraceuticals meaningfully supplement MS medications? What is the optimal combination of natural compounds for MS support? Should neurologists routinely discuss nutraceutical options with MS patients?
Common questions
Can supplements help with MS?
How do cannabis compounds potentially modify MS?
Read the original research
"Disease modifying nutricals" for multiple sclerosis.
Pharmacology & therapeutics, 148, 85-113
Citation
Schmitz, Katja; Barthelmes, Julia; Stolz, Leonie; Beyer, Susanne; Diehl, Olaf; Tegeder, Irmgard. (2015). "Disease modifying nutricals" for multiple sclerosis.. Pharmacology & therapeutics, 148, 85-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.11.015
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