Vitamin D deficiency caused by lack of sun exposure is linked to multiple sclerosis (MS) due to the vitamin’s effect on the immune system. Studies show a higher rate of MS in regions with minimal sunlight, and supplementing with vitamin D3 eliminated MS development in laboratory mice. Vitamin D supplements can also reduce damage and flare-ups in MS patients and may prevent the disease, even in those genetically predisposed.
The connection between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis (MS) has to do with the sun and the proper functioning of the immune system. The connection to sunlight comes from studies showing a high rate of MS in regions with minimal sunlight and the fact that vitamin D comes from the sun. The immune system connection comes from the effects of vitamin D deficiency on the body’s immune responses, and MS is an autoimmune disease.
Simple geography has led to one of the most common connections between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis. Several circumstances can lead to a vitamin D deficiency, but the most common is a lack of adequate sun exposure. One study found that people who lived far from the equator in childhood had a higher rate of MS than those who grew up closer to the equator. Scientists have theorized that low levels of vitamin D caused by reduced exposure to sunlight could be responsible for the high cases of MS in the northern hemisphere. Subsequent research found that supplementing with vitamin D3 completely eliminated the development of MS in laboratory mice.
Another study linking vitamin D and multiple sclerosis found that babies born during spring are more likely to develop MS later in life. Research has shown that vitamin D levels are lowest during spring. This could be because there is less sunlight during the fall and winter months. The correlation is that children whose mothers have low levels of vitamin D are at higher risk of MS.
In another link between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis, research has shown that vitamin D deficiency leads to poor immune system function. Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which a compromised immune system attacks and damages the brain and spinal cord. Some researchers believe that preventing vitamin D deficiency with sun exposure or with vitamin D supplements may reduce the risk of getting MS.
There is also a connection between vitamin D and multiple sclerosis in the areas of treatment and prevention. Research has shown that vitamin D supplements for the treatment of MS reduce damage to spinal cord injuries when taken in dosages up to 10,000 international units (IU) per day. Patients who underwent this treatment also had fewer flare-ups of symptoms.
Vitamin D could also help in the area of MS prevention. One study showed that women who took at least 400 IU of vitamin D a day reduced their chances of developing MS. In the absence of regular sun exposure, research suggests that one benefit of vitamin D supplements, including those found in multivitamins, may be that they reduce the chances of developing MS, even in people genetically predisposed to getting the disease.
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