After our MS Research Day on the 30th January we have been asked by several people about the correct dose of vitamin D to take to try and prevent MS and related disorders. Unfortunately we don’t know. Until we do the appropriate clinical trials any recommendations will not be evidence-based. At present we defer to the Vitamin D Council’s recommendations (www.vitamindcouncil.org):
“…. if you have little UVB exposure, my advice is as follows: healthy children under the age of 1 years should take 1,000 IU per day—over the age of 1, 1,000 IU per every 25 pounds of body weight per day. Well adults and adolescents should take 5,000 IU per day…..”
Before starting vD supplementation at this level we would urge you to see your doctor to discuss things formally; ideally this should be done in conjunction with blood monitoring.
Is there any benefits for a person with MS taking Vit D supplementation (benefits for their MS rather than general benefits provided by Vit D)? I've read that some pateients have recived injections of 50,000 units of Vit D – not sure what the grounds are for this sort of level of supplementation.
There is some early evidence that vD supplementation may also impact positively on established MS in addition to its role as a potential preventative strategy.50,000 units may have been given to correct a deficiency state.
Seen this interesting study about vitamin D and pregnancy on the http://www.elements4health.com website.Having trouble copying and pasting the link, but findings sound promising.