Children who don’t get enough vitamin D in the womb or in early childhood may be more susceptible to developing multiple sclerosis later in life, according to a www.Health.com report this week on a study published in the February 6 issue of the journal Public Library of Science (PloS) Genetics.

According to Health.com, the study that suggests the vitamin helps control an MS-associated gene and “could explain why MS, an autoimmune condition in which the body mistakenly attacks brain tissue and nerves, is relatively rare in countries near the sunny equator. MS is much more common in the darker and gloomier northern latitudes (and far southern latitudes),” the health information web site reported.

The web site quoted Dr. Moses Rodriguez, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, who was not involved in the new research as saying, “It’s a phenomena found over and over again. This study provides some link that vitamin D may be one of the environmental factors that predisposes people to MS.”

An estimated 2.5 million people worldwide are aflicted with MS, and sun-deprived Canada — with 97 percent vitamin D deficiency — has the world’s highest MS rates.

And what’s the best way to get “the sunshine vitamin?” No surprise — Health suggested getting some sun. “If you’re looking for a vitamin D fix, get out in the sun¬and expose children to sunlight, as well,” the story reported, suggesting that sunscreen be used as a tool to prevent sunburn.

To read the Health.com report click here.