Research results provide a mounting body of evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to MS/multiple sclerosis.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a devastating central nervous system disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the brain and spinal cord. The disease affects about 400,000 people in the US. While the cause of MS remains unknown, a number of important studies indicate that there is a definite association between low levels of vitamin D
A 2006 Harvard School of Public Health study shows a definite correlation between vitamin D deficiency and the risk of developing MS. The study, which compared vitamin D levels in 257 blood samples, concluded that among white people the risk of developing MS is lowest for those with the highest levels of vitamin D. Among black people (whose have naturally lower levels of the vitamin in their blood because of the pigment in the skin) no significant association between vitamin levels and MS risk was identified.
The authors of the study confirmed that while the findings stop short of proving that increased vitamin D
Prenatal vitamin D deficiency could increase risk of MS in adulthood
A British/Canadian study published in February, 2009 supports the Harvard study findings and carries them a step further, indicating that prenatal vitamin D deficiency could significantly increase the risk of developing MS in adulthood.
The study focused on the interaction between vitamin D and a genetic variant associated with MS. Those who carry the variant have a three times greater risk of developing MS. According to the study report, the MS-related variant includes a vitamin D
The study report says that if people with the variant have vitamin D deficiency, the gene may not be properly activated, causing the body to mistakenly attack itself. This suggests that vitamin D may be important early in the development of the immune system, and the study authors say that providing vitamin D supplements to pregnant women and infants may help prevent development of MS later.
