Multiple Sclerosis Forum - Vitamin D/sunshine/fish Oil?

In all the reading and research I have done on the subject of ms in recent months, the one thing that crops up repeatedly is the subject of latitude and exposure to sunlight, and vitamin d. Following are a couple of articles which others might find of interest.

I'm now take vitamin d, fish oil capsules plus other omega3 supplements. Has anyone else tried these with any benefit? My big concern is the relative lack of research along these lines, when the associations are so obvious. I don't want to sound paranoid, but is it because the drug companies can't make any money from saying, "go out in the sun for a few hours a day"?

Sun exposure while young may protect against multiple sclerosis 05 june 2004
an important paper in the prestigious british medical journal supports the theory that vitamin d in sunlight may protect against multiple sclerosis.

A study by ingrid van der mei and colleagues in tasmania, australia, which has a high prevalence of ms, found that insufficient ultraviolet radiation may influence the development of multiple sclerosis. Higher sun exposure between the ages of 6 and 15 years, especially in winter, was associated with a one third decreased risk of multiple sclerosis. Extract from the paper: one of the most striking epidemiological features of multiple sclerosis is a gradient of increasing prevalence with latitude.

An inverse association between solar radiation and prevalence of multiple sclerosis was first observed in 1960. Recent photo-immunological work has rekindled interest in this observation because ultraviolet radiation can attenuate t helper cell type 1 mediated immune responses through several mechanisms.

Also, administration of ultraviolet radiation or 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, the active form of vitamin d3, which is produced under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, has shown protective effects against the induction or progression of experimental allergic encephalomyelitis. In humans, ultraviolet radiation or vitamin d may also protect against multiple sclerosis.

A strong ecological association between regional levels of ultraviolet radiation and prevalence of multiple sclerosis is evident in australia (r = -0.91). In a death certificate based case control study, high residential or occupational exposure to sunlight was negatively associated with mortality from multiple sclerosis.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation early in life may alter immunological development during a critical developmental phase. However, the finding of a strong latitudinal gradient of prevalence of multiple sclerosis in australia even among immigrants from the united kingdom and ireland (70% who migrated after age 15) suggests that cumulative exposure to ultraviolet radiation or exposure later in life might also be important.

Tasmania, the island state of australia, is located at latitudes 41-3's and has a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis at 75.6 per 100,000 population." we conducted a case control study in tasmania to examine whether high past sun exposure was associated with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis.

Ref: bmj 2003;327:316 (9 august) "past exposure to sun, skin phenotype and risk of multiple sclerosis": case-control study

full text and references can be found at www.Bmj.Com.

Can vitamin d impact ms? 03 june 2004
could doing something as simple as taking vitamin d have an effect on multiple sclerosis?

There is some evidence that vitamin d might play some part in the development of ms and other diseases such as diabetes, and perhaps even have a positive effect once the disease is present.

It’s an intriguing question that Dr. George ebers hopes to answer with some colleagues in canada with funding support from the ms society of canada.

The head of neurology at the university of oxford and former director of the ms clinic in london, ont., is organizing a meeting in the next few months to discuss a study on whether vitamin d supplements could prevent the onset of ms in people at high risk — probably relatives of people who have the disease.

Others are interested in the question as well including ashton embry of calgary (direct ms). When his son matthew developed ms six years ago at the age of 18, mr. Embry began searching for clues as to what might trigger ms, he told the globeand mail.

He first became interested in the possibility that diet might have an influence and more recently in vitamin d. He learned that a number of scientists were interested in vitamin d and some were convinced that people who live in northerly climates receive far less vitamin d than they should because of the lack of sunlight six months of the year.

A researcher in boston, Dr. Michael holick, calls vitamin d deficiency an epidemic among north american adults, since in more northerly areas people aren’t receiving vitamin d from the sun from four to six months of the year. The sun doesn’t shine as much in the winter, and people are more covered because of the cold.

“these are intriguing clues that a common vitamin may be able to play a positive role in reducing the risk of developing ms or even be a possible therapy. It is too early to draw any definite conclusions,” said Dr. William j. Mcilroy, national medical advisor.

The lack of natural vitamin d from the sun correlates to the geographic distribution of ms. The rate of ms increases the further people live from the equator, but in some scandinavian countries there appears to be a lower rate of ms among people who eat a lot of fish, a rich source of dietary vitamin d.

Recently, some small studies are providing a few more details. Researchers at pennsylvania state university and helen hayes hospital in new york have preliminary results that show a daily dose of vitamin d causes positive changes in blood chemistry.

Although it is too early to show any clinical effects, the blood samples after six months of vitamin d supplementation show an increase in cells associated with suppression of immune system attacks and a decrease in cells associated with triggering attacks. In animal experiments, vitamin d supplementation prevented the animal model of ms, according to the researchers.

At the university of wisconsin, researchers have used a form of vitamin d to see if it can inhibit the development of the animal model of ms in mice. Those treated with the hormone 1,25-(oh)2d3 did not develop the disease while those on placebo became ill.

“these are intriguing clues that a common vitamin may be able to play a positive role in reducing the risk of developing ms or even be a possible therapy. It is too early to draw any definite conclusions,” said Dr. William j. Mcilroy, national medical advisor.

“if people with ms are considering trying vitamin d as a supplement, they should be aware that high doses of vitamin d can be toxic, and they have been linked to heart problems and kidney failure,” he added.

The publication compendium of pharmaceuticals and specialties recommends a daily dosage of vitamin d at 400 to 800 iu for adults. Those who believe in additional supplementation suggest that 1,000 to 4,000 iu daily can be taken without harmful side effects. People considering taking vitamin d supplements should discuss it with their physicians.

Ref: ms society of canada publication, volume 29, feb. 2002