Scientists discovered that diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), two diseases that seem completely different, actually share similar problems in the body. Both involve inflammation—when your body’s defense system overreacts—and problems with how your body uses energy. The good news? The same lifestyle changes that help one disease may help the other. Eating a Mediterranean diet (lots of vegetables, fish, and olive oil) and exercising regularly can reduce inflammation and help your body work better. This review brings together recent research showing that managing your weight, staying active, and eating healthy foods are powerful tools for controlling both diseases, alongside medicines prescribed by doctors.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How diabetes and multiple sclerosis are connected through similar body problems, and whether lifestyle changes like diet and exercise can help both diseases
  • Who participated: This was a review of existing research, not a new experiment with patients. Scientists read and analyzed many recent studies about diabetes, MS, and how lifestyle affects these diseases
  • Key finding: Diabetes and MS share common problems: inflammation (body’s overactive defense system), insulin resistance (body can’t use energy properly), and damage to the brain’s protective barrier. The same lifestyle changes—Mediterranean diet and regular exercise—appear to help reduce these problems in both diseases
  • What it means for you: If you have diabetes, MS, or are at risk for either disease, eating healthy and staying active isn’t just good general advice—it may specifically help prevent or slow down these diseases. However, these lifestyle changes work best alongside medicines prescribed by your doctor, not instead of them

The Research Details

This was a review article, meaning scientists didn’t do a new experiment. Instead, they carefully read and analyzed many recent scientific studies about diabetes, MS, inflammation, and lifestyle changes. They looked for patterns and connections between these diseases that other researchers had discovered.

The researchers organized their findings into a new framework—basically a map showing how these two diseases are connected. They examined how problems with blood sugar and insulin, weight gain, and lack of exercise create inflammation in the body. They also looked at how this inflammation can damage the brain and nervous system, which is what happens in MS.

By bringing all this information together, the scientists could see the bigger picture: that the same unhealthy lifestyle factors (sitting too much, eating poorly, being overweight) and the same body problems (inflammation, insulin resistance) affect both diseases. This helped them understand why the same solutions—diet and exercise—might help both conditions.

Understanding that two seemingly different diseases share common causes is important because it changes how doctors think about treatment. Instead of treating diabetes and MS as completely separate problems, doctors can now use similar lifestyle strategies for both. This approach is also more practical because patients don’t need to follow completely different diet and exercise plans for each disease. Plus, lifestyle changes are safer and cheaper than many medicines, and they help prevent other health problems too.

This is a review of existing research, not a brand-new study with patients. That means the quality depends on which studies the scientists chose to analyze and how carefully they interpreted them. The researchers appear to have used recent, credible studies. However, because this isn’t a new experiment with real patients, the findings are suggestive rather than definitive. The strongest evidence comes from studies specifically testing whether diet and exercise actually reduce inflammation and help these diseases—and those studies do support the conclusions. Readers should know that while the connections between these diseases are real, more research is still needed to understand exactly how strong these connections are and how much lifestyle changes can help each individual person.

What the Results Show

The research shows that diabetes and MS are connected through several shared body problems. First, both diseases involve excessive inflammation—your immune system stays activated too long and damages healthy tissue. Second, both involve problems with insulin and how your body uses energy. Third, both can damage the blood-brain barrier, which is like a protective wall around your brain and spinal cord.

The scientists found that unhealthy lifestyle factors—not moving enough, eating a Western diet high in processed foods, and carrying extra weight—make inflammation worse in both diseases. These factors also make insulin resistance worse, meaning your body can’t use insulin properly to control blood sugar.

The good news is that Mediterranean-style eating and regular physical activity work against these problems. Exercise reduces inflammation markers in the blood, improves how your body uses insulin, and protects the nervous system. A Mediterranean diet—rich in vegetables, fruits, fish, nuts, and olive oil—has similar benefits. Together, these lifestyle changes appear to slow down disease progression in both diabetes and MS.

The research also identified specific inflammation pathways (the body’s chemical signals) that are active in both diseases. Understanding these pathways helps explain why the same lifestyle changes help both conditions. The scientists noted that weight loss is particularly important because fat tissue produces inflammation chemicals. They also found that sedentary behavior (sitting too much) is harmful independent of weight—meaning even thin people who don’t exercise have more inflammation. Additionally, the research suggests that these lifestyle changes work best when started early, before serious damage occurs, though they can still help at any stage of disease.

This research builds on decades of studies showing that diet and exercise help diabetes. What’s newer is the strong evidence that these same interventions help MS, which was previously thought to be primarily a genetic or immune disease. Previous research focused on medicines to suppress the immune system in MS, but this review shows that lifestyle changes address the root causes—inflammation and metabolic problems—that both diseases share. This represents a shift toward more comprehensive treatment that combines medicines with lifestyle changes rather than relying on medicines alone.

This is a review of other studies, not a new experiment, so it’s limited by the quality and scope of existing research. The scientists didn’t test these ideas with new patients, so we can’t be 100% certain the benefits would apply to everyone. Different studies used different methods and measured different things, making it hard to compare results directly. The review focuses on general patterns, but individual people respond differently to diet and exercise changes. Additionally, most research on Mediterranean diet and MS comes from observational studies (watching what people do) rather than controlled experiments, which are stronger evidence. Finally, the review doesn’t provide specific information about how much exercise or exactly which dietary changes help most, or how long it takes to see benefits.

The Bottom Line

If you have diabetes or MS, or are at risk for either disease: (1) Adopt a Mediterranean-style diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, nuts, and olive oil—moderate confidence this will help reduce inflammation and disease progression. (2) Exercise regularly (aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week)—moderate to strong confidence this reduces inflammation and helps both conditions. (3) Maintain a healthy weight—moderate confidence this reduces inflammation and improves insulin sensitivity. (4) Continue taking prescribed medicines—these lifestyle changes work alongside, not instead of, medical treatment. Always discuss dietary and exercise changes with your doctor before starting, especially if you have MS or diabetes.

These findings matter most for people with diabetes or MS who want to slow disease progression and reduce symptoms. They also matter for people at high risk for these diseases (family history, overweight, sedentary lifestyle). People without these diseases can benefit from the general message: Mediterranean diet and regular exercise reduce inflammation and support overall health. However, people with severe MS symptoms or advanced diabetes complications should work closely with their doctors to adapt these recommendations to their specific situation. Pregnant women, people with certain heart conditions, or those taking specific medications should consult their doctor before making major lifestyle changes.

You may notice improvements in energy and mood within 2-4 weeks of starting exercise and diet changes. Blood sugar control and inflammation markers typically improve within 4-8 weeks with consistent effort. Neurological symptoms in MS may take 2-3 months to show improvement, and some benefits build over 6-12 months. However, the most important benefit—slowing disease progression—happens over years, so consistency matters more than quick results. Don’t expect dramatic changes immediately; think of these as long-term investments in your health.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily activity (steps or exercise minutes), weekly weight, and energy/symptom levels. For those with diabetes, monitor blood sugar readings. For those with MS, track fatigue and mobility on a simple 1-10 scale. Record meals to ensure Mediterranean diet adherence (vegetables, fish, whole grains, olive oil).
  • Start with one change: either commit to 30 minutes of walking 5 days per week, or replace one meal daily with a Mediterranean-style option (grilled fish with vegetables and olive oil). Once this becomes routine (2-3 weeks), add the second change. Use the app to set reminders, log meals, and celebrate weekly consistency rather than perfection.
  • Weekly check-ins on exercise completion and diet adherence. Monthly reviews of energy levels, symptom severity, and weight trends. Quarterly summaries to share with your doctor showing patterns in activity, diet quality, and symptom changes. This data helps your doctor adjust medicines if needed and motivates you by showing progress over time.

This review summarizes scientific research about connections between diabetes and MS, and how lifestyle changes may help both conditions. However, this information is educational and not a substitute for medical advice. If you have diabetes, MS, or symptoms of either disease, consult your doctor before making significant dietary or exercise changes. Lifestyle modifications should complement, not replace, prescribed medications and medical treatment. Individual responses to diet and exercise vary greatly, and what works for one person may not work the same way for another. Always work with your healthcare team to develop a treatment plan tailored to your specific situation.