Multiple sclerosis is a degenerative disease that affects approximately 400,000 Americans. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased risk of MS, and studies show that vitamin D supplementation may help people with MS control their disease. However, it is still not clear which dosage of vitamin D provides the most benefit.
Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays an important role in maintaining health by supporting adequate immune function. Vitamin D is not naturally present in many foods but is available as a dietary supplement. Your body also produces vitamin D in response to ultraviolet rays. The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends 400 IU of vitamin D daily for children under 1 year, 600 IU daily for people under 70 and 800 IU daily for those over 70.
Vitamin D Usage in People With Multiple Sclerosis
According to a review article published in "Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports" in September 2010, many studies have associated risk of development of MS and severity of MS with vitamin D. In MS, T lymphocytes mediate attacks on myelin sheaths that surround and protect brain cells. Vitamin D is able to suppress these autoimmune responses. For example, a study published in "Neurology" in June 2010 showed that vitamin D supplementation reduced T cell proliferation in patients with MS. Because of the evidence supporting the protective effect of vitamin D in MS, many physicians recommend that their patients take a daily supplement.
Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis Relapse
Studies indicate that vitamin D may help prevent MS relapse. For example, a study published in May 2010 in the "Annals of Neurology" showed that the rate of relapse fell by 34 percent for every 10 nanogram per milliliter increase in vitamin D level. According to the doctor who performed this study, you must take approximately 2,000 IU each day to raise the level of vitamin D by 15 ng/mL. The "Neurology" study reported that patients who took approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D daily appeared to have fewer relapses.
Side Effects of Vitamin D
According to the results of these studies, vitamin D supplementation did not cause any significant side effects. The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health notes that excessive intake of vitamin D has been linked to toxic side effects like kidney and tissue damage, however, and high levels of vitamin D can be harmful to people with certain medical conditions. Therefore, people with MS should talk to their doctors before taking any vitamin D supplements.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
- "Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports"; Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D: A Review and Recommendations; Andrew Solomon, et al.; September 2010
- "Neurology"; A Phase I/II Dose-escalation Trial of Vitamin D3 and Calcium in Multiple Sclerosis; JM Burton, et al.; June 2010
- UCSF News Center; Low Vitamin D Levels Are Associated With Greater Risk of Relapse in Childhood-Onset Multiple Sclerosis; Kate Vidinsky; January 2010
- National Multiple Sclerosis Society: FAQs About MS
