Genetics. In 2015 scientists demonstrated a clear link between low vitamin D and MS. They found that people who naturally had lower levels of vitamin D (because of their genetics) were more likely to develop MS. Researchers in Oxford have also discovered that vitamin D could affect the way a gene linked to MS behaves.
Can vitamin D deficiency mimic MS? Vitamin D deficiency and MS both have a wide range of symptoms, some of which overlap between the two conditions. Having a deficiency in vitamin D can cause joint and bone pain, bone loss, weakening of the bones, and numbness.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) deficiency can result in some clinical and paraclinical characteristics similar to what is seen in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.
Vitamin D deficiency can cause a number of neurological problems, including fatigue, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. This means having a vitamin D deficiency treated with a supplement can possibly help improve your concentration levels.
Additionally, lower vitamin D levels were strongly associated with development of new T2 lesions and with contrast-enhancing lesions on brain MRI. Each additional 10 ng/mL (25 nmol/L) increment of 25(OH)D was associated with a 15% lower risk of new T2 lesions and a 32% lower risk of enhancing lesions (Fig.
Study: Vitamin D and Autoimmune Disease
The study concluded: Vitamin D supplementation for five years, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, helped reduce autoimmune disease by 22%. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, with or without vitamin D, helped reduce autoimmune disease rate by 15%.
Research has shown that maintaining enough vitamin D in the body may lower the risk of multiple sclerosis (MS). Several studies have shown that people who get more sun exposure and vitamin D in their diets are less likely to have MS .
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density, which can contribute to osteoporosis and fractures (broken bones). Severe vitamin D deficiency can also lead to other diseases: In children, it can cause rickets. Rickets is a rare disease that causes the bones to become soft and bend.
If the body does not contain sufficient vitamin D, this can give rise to a variety of health complications. Symptoms arising from vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, depressed mood and bone and muscle pain. Vitamin D is particularly instrumental in maintaining healthy bones.
Multiple sclerosis is caused by your immune system mistakenly attacking the brain and nerves. It's not clear why this happens but it may be a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Growing evidence suggests that vitamin D plays an important role in MS. Low vitamin D levels in the blood have been identified as a risk factor for the development of MS. Some researchers believe that sun exposure (the natural source of Vitamin D) may help to explain the north-south distribution of MS.
Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone, or chemical messenger, in the body.
Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn's disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.
In general, the two main causes of vitamin D deficiency are: Not getting enough vitamin D in your diet and/or through sunlight. Your body isn't properly absorbing or using vitamin D.
Many people with low vitamin D do not have symptoms, but some children with low vitamin D get bone and muscle pain. Very low vitamin D can lead to soft bones, causing rickets in children and a condition called osteomalacia (os-tee-oh-mah-lay-shee-ah) in adolescents and adults.
“Adding an over-the-counter vitamin D supplement can make improvements in just three to four months time.
The Overcoming MS diet
The OMS diet recommendations are similar to the Swank diet. It advises cutting out dairy and meat, and eating less fat – particularly saturated fat. It also recommends flaxseed oil as an omega 3 supplement and vitamin D supplements if you don't get out in the sun much.
Low vitamin D levels are associated with autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, and even Parkinson's disease.
Vitamin D deficiency has a causative role in the systemic inflammation that commonly accompanies it, with inflammation declining, reflected by reductions in elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), as vitamin D levels increase to normal levels, new research shows.