Vitamin D and MS

I recently read an article yet again boasting the attributes of vitamin D. This supplement is getting more credibility and attention. Oxford researchers report that vitamin D may interact with a specific genetic component that is known to increase the risk of multiple sclerosis and taking vitamin D at critical time periods may reduce the risk of MS. Supporting this study, Harvard researchers report that higher levels of vitamin D in the body may reduce the risk of developing MS by as much as 62%. Multiple sclerosis is among the most common neurological diseases in young adults, affecting 350,000 individuals in the United States and 2 million worldwide. The disease is cause by a loss of nerve cells and the myelin sheath of the spinal cord that is vital to the transmission of signals around the body.

Vitamin D can be found in most multivitamins and also in fortified milk, cheese or orange juice. Another way to get the daily recommended allowance of vitamin D is to spend 15-20 minutes outside, in the sunshine.

-Community Assistant