February 5, 2009

experts comment on research examining the interaction between Vitamin D and a susceptibility ‘gene’ in MS, as published in PLoS Genetics

The research found evidence of an environmental link between vitamin D levels and a gene linked with susceptibility to multiple sclerosis.

Mr Peter Berry-Ottaway, Food Scientist & Technologist, Berry Ottaway and Associates, said:

“The hypothesis presented in this study is very interesting, particularly with regard to the relationship to individuals who have immigrated from warmer climes, counterbalanced by the experience from Norway. This work needs to be followed up to try to confirm the postulated relationship between vitamin D levels and MS.

“If further work confirms a direct relationship between vitamin D and MS there would appear to be a case for vitamin D supplementation for susceptible individuals, although this should be approached with caution. It is possible to have too much vitamin D as it can accumulate in the liver. A daily intake of 5 micrograms each day for a normal healthy adult would be fine, and the Food Standard Agency suggests that taking 25 micrograms or less of vitamin D supplements a day is unlikely to cause any harm. The FSA also suggests that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should take 10 micrograms of vitamin D each day.”

Prof Colleen Hayes, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, said:

“This new and important research represents a beginning. Only a vitamin D intervention study can tell us whether vitamin D supplementation will prevent some MS cases. So far, the data we have point strongly to an association between low vitamin D supplies and high MS risk. However, until we actually take a population of at-risk individuals, for example the offspring and siblings of MS patients, and provide high supplementary vitamin D during the critical years when MS is likely to develop, for example the teenage years, we will not know whether MS can be prevented. The extraordinarily high emotional, physical, and financial costs of this disease to individuals, to their families, and to their communities more than justifies a world-wide effort to answer this critically important question. There are very good reasons to believe the answer will be yes for some individuals, perhaps even a majority of individuals.”

Catherine Collins RD, Principle Dietician, St Georges Hospital, London, said:

“This work adds to the compelling epidemiology evidence that vitamin D is more than just a bone-friendly nutrient, and adds to population data that suggests a greater role of vitamin D in immune and metabolic function than previously thought.

“As a dietitian working partly in rheumatology I’m concerned about low plasma levels of vitamin D in the UK population, endemic across cultural and age groups. ‘Sun safe’ messages as skin cancer prevention have had an impact on our body’s ability to produce Vitamin D, given that skin exposure to UVB rays are only effective at generating Vitamin D during peak hours of summer sunshine, when we are told to cover up or avoid the sun.

“It is currently impossible to meet the UK minimum requirements for Vitamin D from our current diet plus fortified foods without sunlight exposure. I frequently advise patients who are not regularly exposed to direct sunlight for various reasons and may be vulnerable to deficiency to take a supplement providing at least 10mcg daily to improve blood levels, or to leave off suncream for 5-10 minutes to allow some skin exposure for vitamin D synthesis, although care should obviously be taken not to get burnt.”

See also details of our press briefing to launch the research.