Group urges those with MS to load up on vitamin D
Vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for developing multiple sclerosis, and the MS Society of Canada now says that people affected by the disease should consume up to 4,000 IU per day to decrease the risk or to potentially modify the extent of the disease.
Vitamin D is acquired by exposure to sunlight or through ingestion of vitamin D3 supplements. Small amounts are found in foods like egg yolks, fortified dairy products and oily fish.
Numerous studies have shown an association between low levels of vitamin D in the blood and the risk of getting MS, as well as having relapses.
Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple sclerosis in the world with about 80,000 individuals diagnosed.
MS is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that attacks myelin, the protective covering of the nerves that helps transmit nerve impulses.
MS symptoms include extreme fatigue, lack of co-ordination, weakness, tingling, impaired sensation, vision problems, bladder problems, cognitive impairment and mood changes.
Studies have shown that MS is generally more common in countries that are less sunny and farther from the equator. Studies have also shown that MS relapses occur more frequently in winter months when vitamin D levels in the blood are lower. Genetic studies have revealed that lower levels of the nutrient are associated with higher risks of being diagnosed with MS.
The new diet and supplementation guidelines are evidencebased, according to the society. After consultations with medical experts, the recommendations have been endorsed by The Canadian Network of Multiple Sclerosis Clinics and The Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers.
Dr. Robert Carruthers, a neurologist in the MS clinic at the University of B.C. Centre for Brain Health, said that the recommendation from the society is sensible.
While the recommendation is that individuals with MS — or at risk of MS — consume between 600 and 4,000 IU daily, Carruthers said he advises his patients to take up to 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day. (International Units, or IU, is a measurement of the potency, or biological activity of a product.)
“It’s cheap, safe, and has been shown to be helpful.”
Carruthers estimates that less than 10 per cent of patients coming to the UBC clinic for a new diagnosis are taking vitamin D supplements at the time of their first appointments. That suggests that a blanket recommendation like the one issued Wednesday is important, to get the message out more broadly.
“I encourage patients to take anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 IU per day. We have to acknowledge we don’t exactly know the right dose, but in some studies doses as high as 10,000 units were used without any clear concerns about toxicity,” Carruthers said in an interview.
“With patients who have early or mild MS, you want those people to do everything possible to maintain that status, through modifiable risk reductions, including vitamin D3 supplementation and not smoking.”
Two ongoing trials will hopefully yield more definitive answers about the role of vitamin D as a treatment for MS.