A recent animal study indicates that UV light itself, not vitamin D, is responsible for suppression of Multiple Sclerosis, the Vitamin D Council reports. The fact that MS is less common closer to the equator is well established, but has typically been attributed to increased vitamin D production. However, the new research from University of Wisconsin, also backed by other recent studies, suggests otherwise.

UW researchers examined the effect of different UV wavelengths on mice induced with an MS-like state. They found that narrow band UVB, which did not significantly increase vitamin D levels, suppressed the MS-model equally to the broad band UV, which did significantly increase vitamin D levels. Therefore, the researchers concluded that the 300 to 315 nm range of UV light suppressed the MS-model independent of vitamin D and that it ‘s reasonable to assume that humans are positively affected in a manner similar to the mice.

“These findings force a reexamination of the idea that vitamin D production mediates the relationship between UV light and MS,” the researchers noted.

Click here to read the abstract of the study.

Click here to read more from the Vitamin D Council (membership required).

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