Newswise — Vitamin D, the principal regulator of calcium in the body, may
prevent the production of malignant cells such as breast and prostate cancer
cells and protect against specific autoimmune disorders including multiple
sclerosis (MS) according to an article by Sylvia Christakos, PhD, of the
UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School.
In the article, Christakos reports that research shows that the incidence of MS
decreases as the amount of vitamin D available to the body increases, either
through sunlight exposure or diet. The article notes that MS is “for the most
part, unknown in equatorial regions” and that the prevalence of the disease is
lower in areas where fish consumption is high. The study is available online in
the Journal of Cellular Biochemistry.
“Since vitamin D is produced in the skin through solar or UV irradiation and
high serum levels have been shown to correlate with a reduced risk of MS, this
suggests that vitamin D may regulate the immune response and may promote a
host’s reaction to a pathogen,” Christakos said.
Christakos’ report focuses on the immunosuppressive actions of the active form
of vitamin D, which may inhibit the induction of MS, and emphasizes the
importance of maintaining a sufficient vitamin D level.
“Evidence has shown that the maintenance of an adequate vitamin D level may
have a protective effect in individuals predisposed to MS,” Christakos said.
“One device of vitamin D action may be to preserve balance in the T-cell
reaction and thus avoid autoimmunity.”
Despite the significant evidence of the benefits of vitamin D relative to MS
and other autoimmune diseases, Christakos cautions that further studies are
needed to determine whether vitamin D alone or combined with other treatments
is effective in individuals with active MS.
The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is the nation's
largest free-standing public health sciences university with more than 5,500
students attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a
graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions,
a school of nursing and its only school of public health, on five campuses.
Last year, there were more than two million patient visits to UMDNJ facilities
and faculty at campuses in Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, Scotch Plains,
Camden and Stratford. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma
Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, a mental health and
addiction services network.
~Krissy~
We are all in this together, by ourselves.
- Lily Tomlin
~I'm In pretty Good Shape
For the Shape I am in~
