Expert opinion
The importance of vitamin D for athletes
1 September 2013
Insufficient vitamin D status is widespread around the globe due to a lack of sunlight exposure and adequate dietary intake.
12 January 2015
A sufficient vitamin D supply seems to reduce the disability status of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, suggests a new study from France.
In the observational study, the blood vitamin D concentrations and the degree of mobility disability was measured in 181 ambulatory multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, who were at high risk for both vitamin D deficiency and difficulties walking (1). The study results showed that higher vitamin D levels of participants were correlated with lower disability scores. Patients with vitamin D levels greater than 20 ng/ml were 2.78 times more likely to have a significantly lower degree of mobility disability.
The researchers noted that vitamin D deficiency is a recognized risk factor for MS and low vitamin D levels have been associated with increased disease activity. Vitamin D has been shown to influence balance, walking, and risk of falls and fractures. Relapsing-remitting MS is characterized by relapses, called flare-ups, followed up by a period of partial or complete recovery. Progressive forms of MS are characterized by a steady worsening in neurological functioning. These results support the pertinence of randomized controlled trials analyzing the interest of an early vitamin D supplementation in MS patients to influence evolution of disability, the scientists concluded.
1 September 2013
Insufficient vitamin D status is widespread around the globe due to a lack of sunlight exposure and adequate dietary intake.
23 November 2012
A new European study suggests that increased consumption of calcium in dairy foods is related to healthcare cost savings by reducing the risk of osteoporotic fractures in the population aged over 50.
19 June 2010
Higher blood levels of vitamin D may not reduce the risk of developing rarer cancers, reports a new US study.