Posted on 02/04/2009 7:15:24 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
Multiple sclerosis could be prevented through daily vitamin D supplements, scientists told The Times last night.
The first causal link has been established between the “sunshine vitamin” and a gene that increases the risk of MS, raising the possibility that the debilitating auto-immune disease could be eradicated.
George Ebers, Professor of Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, claimed that there was hard evidence directly relating both genes and the environment to the origins of MS.
His work suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and childhood may increase the risk of a child developing the disease.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Wow. It seems like every month they are finding new reasons to get your daily dose of Vitamin D.
People got so freaked out by melanoma sunshine became secondary and then you have all the people who live in the north who are sunless for days on end... I take 1000mg a day extra.
It’s a ‘Ray of Sunshine’ for anyone. In these dark days of winter, on days when the sun is out, I spend at least 15 minutes straight out there with my face and the backs of my hands raised to the Sun. (The temp should be above 32 degrees, lest I get frost-bit, so those days are rare, indeed!)
Those two places on our bodies are supposedly the best receptors of sunshine and Vitamin D in its most basic and natural form.
Don’t know what it is but my mood goes straight up when I get enough sun, even though I drink enough (skim) Vitamin D milk each day to float a boat, LOL!
My daughter was just diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency. She has a seizure disorder from a brain injury(along with other problems), so we went to a psychiatrist to see how to help her with some issues.
Well, the psychiatrist did a whole bunch of blood work and found out that she is vitamin D deficient.
We live in California, and my kids are outside a lot, and she is still vitamin D deficient.
I found out that her seizure medication can strip her body of vitamin D.
Anyway, we are supplementing her with vitamin D. We’ll see if it helps. It’s only been a few weeks.
Skin cancer is a real concern for some of us. My brother died of it (not melanoma just the regular kind), and I’ve had pre-cancerous legions removed. My brother was a red-head, and my kids and I are all blond. My daughters and I also have blue eyes.
I’m just making sure we are all supplementing with vitamin D.
It is a problem for me, even here in the desert, because I have Lupus... so I do Vitamin D and seek shade.
I hope that helps, seizure disorder is not a good thing to have to deal with. I think we’ve discussed that on the Travolta thread IIRC. Do you do a lot of sunscreen? It can block D as well.
Yeah, but they never tell ya what foods are high in vitamin D, outside of saying sunshine is good. I’m no nutritional expert, so I’m just asking.
I let the kids go to school without sunscreen except when it is really hot and sunny (May, August). They eat outside, PE, and breaks outside.
In the summer, it’s sunscreen all the time.
I’m making sure my other 2 kids are getting vitamin d supplements also because I’m worried about them not getting enough vitamin d.
Experts believe that advice on sunbathing will have to be reviewed in light of new findings
Politicians greeted the news of the first scientific research linking the causes of multiple sclerosis with vitamin D deficiency yesterday as a giant leap forward, and called for the work to be carried forward. Health food shops in Scotland reported increased sales of the so-called sunshine vitamin, which interacts with a particular gene variant found in some individuals and alters the risk of developing MS. The Times revealed yesterday that for the first time scientists had found a direct relationship between low vitamin D levels, caused by lack of sunshine, and the debilitating disease, which is more prevalent in Scotland than in other parts of the world.
The research, led by George Ebers, professor of neurology at Oxford University, raises the possibility that giving vitamin D supplements to pregnant women and young children might help to reduce the risk of suffering from the disease and one day could even eradicate it. Ross Finnie MSP, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson, described the research as a giant leap forward in our understanding of MS, giving hope of a cure. Dr Richard Simpson, the Labour health spokesman, said: “This is a really interesting piece of research and an exciting finding. Further progress in Professor Eber's work could lead to a genuine breakthrough, which may help prevent MS in future generations. It is important that the Chief Scientist supports this work.”
A Scottish government spokeswoman said it was considering whether guidance on the use of vitamin D needed to be updated or the message reinforced. She said: “Any new research on the use of vitamins needs to be carefully evaluated in population-based trials. As this research does not fall into this category we need to treat the findings with caution.” Dr Sreeram Ramagopalan, a lead author of the paper, said: “Our study implies that taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy and the early years may reduce the risk of a child developing MS in later life. “Vitamin D is a safe and relatively cheap supplement with substantial potential health benefits. There is accumulating evidence that it can reduce the risk of developing cancer and offer protection from other autoimmune diseases."
The public appeared to be making its own decision. An assistant in a Glasgow branch of Holland & Barrett, the health food chain, said: “We have had a real rush on vitamin D.” The scientific breakthrough comes after a groundswell of expert belief in the importance of vitamin D. Last November, at a conference organised by the Scottish government, international experts urged that vitamin D supplements for Scots should be tested sooner rather than later. Scientists from the World Health Organisation told officials from the health department, among them Dr Harry Burns, the Chief Medical Officer, that there should be large, randomised trials, as there was strong evidence that increased daily intake of vitamin D could significantly improve the nation's health.
The new research, published today in the journal PLoS Genetics and funded by the MS Society, suggests that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and the early years could be linked to an increased risk of offspring developing MS later in life. The study was funded by the MS Society in the UK, the MS Society of Canada, the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council, researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia. It established a direct relationship between a gene variant, identified as one which increases the risk of developing MS threefold, and vitamin D. A shortage of the vitamin may prevent the immune system from doing its job. Professor Ebers and colleagues believe that vitamin D deficiency in mothers or even in a previous generation may lead to the gene functioning differently in offspring.
The finding that the environment interacts directly with the background genetics of MS is a first for a common autoimmune condition. "Epigenetics will have important implications, not only for MS, but for other common diseases," said Professor Ebers. "For mothers, taking care of their health during their reproductive years may have beneficial effects on the health of their future children or even grandchildren." The research was welcomed by Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the MS Society (UK). He said: “This discovery opens up new avenues of MS research and future experiments will help put the pieces together.”
Few foods.
Eggs, cod liver oil. Lard.
Many of the things that they’ve convinced people not to eat (like red meat) are very high in some of the quasi-essentials.
Thanks for that. Was just curious.
To obtain maximum benefit and prevent flu and pneuminia a daily intake of 2000 units is recommended. There is a lot on the subject and the D in foods is barely able to prevent the childhood disease of rickets.
After reading a thread here and looking into the matter I began to take a daily 2000 units from november till end of March. If there is an outbreak of flu, double the dosage.
they sell 2,000 I.U. pills in vitamin stores for about $6.00. I’ve seen a doctor consuem a whole bottle at once just to prove a point about so-called toxicity of a fat-soluable vitamin.
If you have a condition you may need to take a “theraputic” dose. Those living in the top half of the USA need supplements because of the lack of sun light, those with darker skin will also need more. Most Americans are deficient.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/
thanks, bfl
I’m at risk for skin cancer. I just take a multi-vitamin with D-3 100%RDA, and a 2 Calcium with D (1200mg Ca, 400UID). I don’t know if the D is working, but I’ve dulled my nail clippers!
Being that I live so far north (Pennsylvania), I take about 3,000 units/day during the winter (cholecalciferol). Sunshine isn’t much of an option in the summer, due to immunosuppression for a kidney transplant and a markedly increased risk of skin cancer.
I live in the sun belt, but have to restrict my sunshine because I have Lupus which is attacking my kidneys. I take 1000mg a day.
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