Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that is required for the maintenance of good health. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with a lengthy list of health problems, from bone fractures to cancer. The problem is that sufficient levels of vitamin D are not easily obtained through diet alone. Also, although the vitamin is produced in the skin when exposed to UV rays from the sun, in northern climates sunlight levels are inadequate during the winter to trigger the production of vitamin D. As a result, many people are deficient in this essential vitamin. Recent evidence suggests that the maintenance of healthy vitamin D levels at a young age may also be a crucial factor in the prevention of certain autoimmune disorders like MS.
A recent review of the potential link between vitamin D levels and MS points out that the incidence of MS is correlated with geographic area, with the disease being far more prevalent at higher latitudes where there is less exposure to sunlight. Furthermore, sufficient vitamin D intake has been linked with a lower prevalence of MS. There is evidence to suggest that maintaining healthy vitamin D levels is especially important at a young age. The correlation between the onset of MS later in life and blood vitamin D levels was especially strong for blood levels measured before the age of 20. Furthermore, immigrants who move before the age 15 have been shown to take on the MS risk associated with their new country.
Research has shown that higher blood levels of vitamin D (in the form of 1,25(OH)2D3) can at least partially protect against certain experimental autoimmune diseases in mice, including experimental allergic encephalitis (the mouse model of MS), experimental lupus erythematosus, autoimmune thyroiditis and autoimmune diabetes. It is thought that vitamin D’s action against autoimmune diseases like MS is through its effects on the immune system, namely the maintenance of a balanced T-cell response, which prevents autoimmunity. These results, and the clear associations between MS incidence and geographic location, sunlight levels and blood vitamin D levels, suggests that sufficient vitamin D levels, especially early in life, may have an important protective role against MS. While vitamin D seems to be important for the prevention of MS, its potential role in the treatment of this disease has not yet been determined. Further studies and clinical trials will be required to assess whether vitamin D supplementation could benefit those with active MS.
Raghuwanshi A, Joshi SS, Christakos S. Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry; 2008, Early online publication.
For more information see D3-5000 or Vitamin D3.
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