Vitamin D may Reduce the Risk of MS

Educational only. Not medical advice.

Why Is There More MS in the North?

An analysis from the Nurses’ Health Study, published in Neurology (Jan. 13, 2004), found that women who consumed 400 IU or more of vitamin D daily from supplements were 40% less likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) than those who used no vitamin D supplements. The study followed 187,563 women, 173 of whom developed MS.

Earlier animal studies support the idea that vitamin D may influence immune activity. Other researchers have also observed that individuals with low vitamin D status appear more likely to develop MS.

Beyond risk, vitamin D levels may correlate with disease activity. Some studies link MS exacerbations to periods of lower vitamin D, while higher levels have been associated with more stable phases.

Because MS becomes more common the farther you live from the equator, many scientists believe that differences in sunlight exposure and vitamin D production may help explain the geographic pattern.