The missing link
You don't hear much about multiple sclerosis -- mostly because it's a disease that continues to stump doctors and researchers. While there are a handful of treatments that can alleviate some of the symptoms, there's no cure for it. But last month, researchers from the UK and Canada did even better. They made a discovery that may prevent it from occurring in the first place. And the missing link is none other than vitamin D. Researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia examined genetic factors involved in multiple sclerosis (MS) risk. They found that one of the genes known to have the strongest effect on MS risk interacts closely with DNA and proteins that rely on vitamin D to activate them. If your body doesn't have enough of this essential nutrient to activate those proteins, the nearby gene may be altered. And your risk of developing MS may increase as a result. The researchers actually believe that this vitamin D deficiency-MS risk relationship begins before we're even born. According to the article I read about this study "They believe that vitamin D deficiency in mothers or even in a previous generation may lead to altered expression of the gene in their offspring." In theory, this could mean that if women get ample vitamin D throughout their lives -- and during pregnancy -- it could potentially wipe out MS altogether. Granted, it is still theoretical at this point. But it certainly can't HURT. And while vitamin D may or may not be the MS savior, it does play a critical role in many, many other aspects of your health. Dr. Wright recommends 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily for adults and teenagers, 1,000 IU for infants and small children, and 2,000 IU for everyone in between. Source:
"Vitamin D helps control MS gene," BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk), 2/5/09 | 
