A summary of the study on “The Impact of Coconut Oil and Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Levels of IL-6, Anxiety and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients”
Background
This research paper by Platero et al (2020) published in Nutrients in January 2020, investigated the impact of coconut oil and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels, anxiety, and functional disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic, inflammatory, and autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) characterised by high oxidative stress and inflammation, leading to the deterioration of the myelin sheath and axonal injuries, resulting in functional disability. Due to the inflammatory nature of MS, levels of IL-6, an inflammatory marker, are significantly high in MS patients. Elevated IL-6 is also linked to higher levels of anxiety. The study aimed to assess whether EGCG, known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, potentially enhanced by the anti-inflammatory effects of ketone bodies produced after coconut oil consumption, could reduce IL-6 levels and consequently improve anxiety and functional disability in MS patients.
Methodology
The study was a four-month pilot study with 51 MS patients who were randomly divided into an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received 800 mg of EGCG and 60 mL of coconut oil daily, while the control group received a placebo. Both groups followed the same isocaloric Mediterranean diet. State and trait anxiety were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), IL-6 serum levels were determined using ELISA, and functional capacity was assessed with the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Body mass index (BMI) was also recorded.
Results
The results showed that state anxiety decreased and functional capacity improved significantly in the intervention group after the four-month period. Additionally, IL-6 levels decreased in both the intervention and control groups. Notably, there was no significant improvement in trait anxiety in either group. A significant decrease in BMI was observed in both groups as well.
Conclusion
The researchers concluded that EGCG and coconut oil improve state anxiety and functional capacity in MS patients. The decrease in IL-6 observed in both groups was possibly attributable to the antioxidant capacity of the Mediterranean diet followed by all participants and its positive impact on improving BMI. The Mediterranean diet is rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and E, phenolic compounds, and carotenoids. The study highlights that the improvement in state anxiety in the intervention group might be due to the combined action of EGCG, which modulates GABA receptors, leading to an anxiolytic effect, and ketone bodies from coconut oil, which have shown to decrease anxiety by inhibiting NMDA ionotropic glutamate receptors. The improvement in functional capacity in the intervention group appeared to correlate with the reduction in state anxiety. However, the study acknowledges limitations such as the small sample size and the lack of separate intervention groups for EGCG and coconut oil alone, suggesting the need for future research with larger samples and more complex designs to confirm these findings. The study received funding from the Catholic University Foundation San Vicente Mártir.
References
Platero, J. L., Cuerda-Ballester, M., Ibáñez, V., Sancho, D., Lopez-Rodríguez, M. M., Drehmer, E., & de la Rubia Ortí, J. E. (2020). The Impact of Coconut Oil and Epigallocatechin Gallate on the Levels of IL-6, Anxiety and Disability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients. Nutrients, 12(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12020305
This post is based on Open Access research and is for informational purposes only.
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