Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. In the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study, researchers found that having vitamin D blood levels above 75 nmol/L decreased MS risk by 61%.
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease often described as “an unpredictable central nervous system” and the exact cause remains unknown. It is thought to be an “autoimmune disease” where the body attacks itself such as is seen with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus (1). The disease affects an estimated 400,000 Americans (2) and costs our healthcare system nearly $7 billion per year (3). While women are twice as likely to have Multiple Sclerosis (MS) as men, the reason for this is not known (4).
Conventional approaches to treat MS include prescription drugs called Beta Interferon ((Avonex, Betaseron, and Rebif) but their “serious side effects” make them a difficult long-term treatment option (1). Now a new study (5) suggests that low vitamin D levels may increase MS risk.
In the study, researchers analyzed blood samples from 192 patients diagnosed with MS and matched them against samples from 384 patients without MS participating in the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study (6). They also analyzed blood samples from 37 mothers whose children later developed MS and matched them against blood samples of 185 mothers whose children did not develop MS. As vitamin D blood levels differ between experts, with some recommending at least 50 nanomoles/Liter and others considering at least 75 nmol/L, the researchers decided to look at MS risk at 75 nmol/L and assessed risk at levels below 75 nmol/L.
The researchers found that having vitamin D blood levels above 75 nmol/L decrease MS risk by 61% (p < 0.01) but did not see a decreased risk among the pregnant mothers group with blood levels above 75 nmol/L. The researchers also did not see any decreased risk with lower vitamin D blood levels, suggesting that 75 nmol/L may be the benchmark needed to decrease MS risk.
When suggesting how vitamin D may preserve nerve function in regarding to MS, the researchers pointed to a 2008 study showing vitamin D to affect activity of immune system cells called T-helper cells, specifically lower T-helper cell-1 activity and increase T-helper cell-2 activity (7). Regarding dosage, “at least 2,000 IU (50 mg) of vitamin D3 are probably needed to reach [blood levels at least] 75 nmol/L…given that the blood levels increase by 0.8–1.0 nmol/L for every milligram ingested” (8, 9,).
For the researchers, “This study gives further support for the association between vitamin status and multiple sclerosis.”
Source: Salzer, Jonatan, et al. “Vitamin D as a protective factor in multiple sclerosis.” Neurology 79.21 (2012): 2140-2145.
© 2012 American Academy of Neurology
Posted March 10, 2014.
Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY. You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com.
References:
- “Multiple Sclerosis Information Page” posted on the NIH website.
- Information obtained from the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America website.
- Whetten-Goldstein K. A comprehensive assessment of the cost of multiple sclerosis in the United States. Mult Scler. 1998 Oct;4(5):419-25.
- “Why More Women Get Multiple Sclerosis” posted on the WebMD website.
- Salzer J. VitaminD as a protective factor in multiple sclerosisNeurology_ 2012;79:2140–2145.
- Study details for the Northern Sweden Health and Disease Study are available on the National Cancer Institute website.
- Smolders J, Damoiseaux J, Menheere P, Hupperts R. Vitamin D as an immune modulator in multiple sclerosis, a review. J Neuroimmunol 2008;194:7–17.
- Burton JM, Kimball S, Vieth R, et al. A phase I/II doseescalation trial of vitamin D3 and calcium in multiple sclerosis. Neurology 2010;74:1852–1859.
- Vieth R. Why the optimal requirement for vitamin D3 is probably much higher than what is officially recommended for adults. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2004;89-90: 575–579.
