This Vitamin Breakthrough Stops Multiple Sclerosis
Dear Reader,
Multiple sclerosis is one of those conditions that leaves most doctors scratching their heads.
Despite its prevalence (it affects about 2.5 million people worldwide), there’s still a lot we don’t know about what causes it, and there is no cure.
But as researchers have delved deeper into this confusing disease, they’re making some startling discoveries.
In fact, there may now be a dead-simple way to prevent MS from ever developing.
And the answer could be right outside your door.
Researchers tracked over 800,000 women for nine years, and they found that maintaining high vitamin D levels slashed the risk of developing MS.
More specifically, for every 50 nanomolar per liter increase in vitamin D, the risk of developing MS dropped by 39 percent. The study also showed that the women with a vitamin D deficiency had a 43 percent higher risk of developing the disease.
This adds to other studies, which have shown that people with MS who maintain higher levels of vitamin D tend to have less severe symptoms of the disease.
And what’s the best source of vitamin D? You guessed it… sunlight!
The connection between vitamin D/sunlight and MS should not come as a surprise to scientists, or even to your doctor for that matter.
We’ve known for years that location plays a role in MS. Specifically, the farther away you are from the equator, the higher the rates of MS.
Take a look at just the United States. If you were to draw a line across the center of the US (at the 37th parallel), you’d see that the rate of MS is TWICE AS HIGH in the northern states as it is in the southern states.
What’s the connection here? The farther you get from the equator, the LESS VITAMIN D your skin makes from the sun. That’s why people in this region are at a much greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.
It doesn’t take much to connect the dots… especially when the research does it for you.
If you want to know for sure how much vitamin D you’re generating, try downloading a free app, like one called D Minder. It tells you what time of day UVB is present at your location, and it takes into account numerous factors, including cloud cover and skin type.
The best way to get your vitamin D is to spend at least 15 minutes in direct sunlight every day. If you can’t do that (or if you live in a northern region), you can get enough vitamin D fairly easily though your diet.
Some of the best food sources of vitamin D include salmon, mackerel, and sardines.
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
