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Rare gene links vitamin D and multiple sclerosis

8 December 2011 Last updated at 08:15 ET
BBC News

Researchers say a variant gene which reduces vitamin D levels could be directly linked to MS

A rare genetic variant which causes reduced levels of vitamin D appears to be directly linked to multiple sclerosis, says an Oxford University study.

UK and Canadian scientists identified the mutated gene in 35 parents of a child with MS and, in each case, the child inherited it.

Researchers say this adds weight to suggestions of a link between vitamin D deficiency and MS.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord).

Although the cause of MS is not yet conclusively known, both genetic and environmental factors and their interactions are known to be important.

Oxford University researchers, along with Canadian colleagues at the University of Ottawa, University of British Columbia and McGill University, set out to look for rare genetic changes that could explain strong clustering of MS cases in some families in an existing Canadian study.

They sequenced all the gene-coding regions in the genomes of 43 individuals selected from families with four or more members with MS.

The team compared the DNA changes they found against existing databases, and identified a change in the gene CYP27B1 as being important.

Learn about your genetic risk based on variations in your unique genetic code

When people inherit two copies of this gene they develop a genetic form of rickets - a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.

Just one copy of the mutated CYP27B1 gene affects a key enzyme which leads people with it to have lower levels of vitamin D.

The researchers then looked for the rare gene variant in over 3,000 families of unaffected parents with a child with MS.

They found 35 parents who carried one copy of this variant along with one normal copy.

In every one of these 35 cases, the child with MS had inherited the mutated version of the gene.

The likelihood of this gene's transmission being unconnected to the MS is billions to one against, say the researchers.

Prof George Ebers, lead study author at Oxford University, says the odds are overwhelming.

"All 35 children inheriting the variant is like flipping a coin 35 times and getting 35 heads, entailing odds of 32 billion to one against."

He added: "This type of finding has not been seen in any complex disease. The uniform transmission of a variant to offspring with MS is without precedent but there will have been interaction with other factors."

Prof Ebers believes that this new evidence adds to previous observational studies which have suggested that sunshine levels around the globe - the body needs sunshine to generate vitamin D - are linked to MS.

He maintained that there was now enough evidence to carry out large-scale studies of vitamin D supplements for preventing multiple sclerosis.

"It would be important particularly in countries like Scotland and the rest of the UK where sunshine levels are low for large parts of the year. Scotland has the greatest incidence of multiple sclerosis of any country in the world."

Dr Doug Brown, head of biomedical research at the MS Society, called it an important development.

"This shines more light on the potential role of vitamin D deficiency on increasing the risk of developing MS.

"This research is gathering momentum and will be the subject of discussion at an international expert meeting in the USA this month, the outcomes of which will shape future research that will give us the answers we so desperately need about the potential risks and benefit of vitamin D supplementation."

Paul Comer, from the charity MS Trust, said the research strengthened the case for vitamin D being one potential contributory cause of MS.

"Current opinion suggests that a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight and possibly some sort of trigger, such as a viral infection, interact in some way to start the development of MS.

"We welcome any research that clarifies the interplay between these factors. This is another step towards finding ways to reduce the risk of developing MS, but it is likely to be some years yet before we can gauge the significance of vitamin D deficiency to MS."

Are Vitamins Good For You?

Are vitamins good for you?

Phillip A. Black
December 2011

Over the past several weeks, I have read numerous articles and blogs on the topic of vitamins (and supplements) and if they are good for you or not. Almost all of the articles, no matter what credentials the authors do or do not have are simply rubbish. Period. End of story. Why would I make that statement? Because EVERY article I read about this topic contains the same fatal errors. The authors generalize and do not account for any variables. Well, it's time to set the record straight. I am going to justify why my mantra is "Eat well, exercise, and supplement intelligently."

Yesterday, I read an article written by a dietician who stated that most people under 50 do not need supplementation if they eat well. Really? How does she define eating well? I don't know because she didn't define eating well in her article. Does eating well mean following the laughable food pyramid? Does eating well mean eating only organic foods grown locally? Does eating well mean eating the types of food that our genes require for optimal wellness? Does eating well include consuming canned or frozen fruits and vegetables? The answers to just a few of those questions can make a huge difference. Ask ten people if they eat well and almost all of them will answer affirmative to some degree. Very few people will say they do not eat well. However, eating well is relative.

Most people think yogurt is a health food...and it can be. Well, if you eat organic, plain yogurt with active cultures and no added sugar, it is very healthy. However, how many people eat that type of yogurt? I see what people put into their carts at the store and it's not plain, organic yogurt. Dannon Company settled a class action suit to the tune of $35 Million regarding its Activa yogurt line. The lawsuit was filed in early 2008, alleging that Dannon knowingly misled consumers in its marketing of the yogurt. The massive false advertising campaign convinced shoppers to pay 30% more for yogurt containing “probiotic” bacteria because of the products’ supposed health benefits. You see, it's not that healthy! It contains fructose syrup, sugar, and fructose (three distinct instances of added sugar on top of the sugar naturally present in the strawberries and the lactose). The total sugar count is 17 grams per serving (just over 4 teaspoons). The three added sugars only account for one teaspoon though. This is actually not too bad, and much better than Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt that clocks in at 27 grams of sugar. What does this have to do with vitamins? Perception. People are misinformed by advertising and simply do not grasp the facts. In a perfect world, I might agree with the author's assessment that most people under 50 do not need supplementation IF they truly ate well. However, this is NOT a perfect world. Look around. How many people eat well? Obesity rates are soaring. The number of people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is soaring. Because of financial struggles, Americans are eating cheap, processed foods at an alarming rate. A study published in December 2007 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that a single dollar could purchase 1,200 calories of cookies or potato chips, but only 250 calories of carrots- which may help explain why the highest rates of obesity continue to be observed among groups of limited economic means.

Where do Americans eat their food? Americans are now spending over $140 billion annually on fast food at over 25,000 fast food restaurants. Based on this statistic alone, Americans are not making solid nutritional decisions. How about a Happy Meal? A cheeseburger happy meal with fries and a soda at McDonald's has 640 calories and 24 grams of fat. This is over half of the total calories many children should be eating in a day. And that soda? It contains way too much sugar but it also contains phosphoric acid. So what? Calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus must be maintained in the proper balance for healthy bones. When too much phosphorus is in the blood, calcium is leached from the bones, causing osteoporosis. Even in citrus sodas which contain citric acid instead of phosphoric acid, calcium is needed to normalize blood pH. In a nutshell, we are overfed and undernourished as a country. Clearly, this is not a perfect world.
 
Let me take this one step further. Let's assume we have a population who chooses to eat a plant based diet. Let's take a look at the soil those plants are grown in. Almost all non-organic produce is now grown on factory farms. This means that the farms use modern production techniques to maximize production and profit. These modern means include pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and a lack of crop rotation. This means that the soil is nutritionally deficient as well as contaminated with chemicals. This is what the plants derive their nutrition from. You see, modern factory farms are paid solely on production and how nice the plants look. There is no financial incentive for nutritional value. This explains why there is a movement towards organic farming. People realize the food we are consuming is lacking nutritional value. So, even if you are eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, if they are not organic, the nutritional value is not what it once was. Donald Davis, a biochemist at the University of Texas, said that of 13 major nutrients in fruits and vegetables tracked by the US Department of Agriculture from 1950 to 1999, six showed noticeable declines -- protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin and vitamin C. The declines ranged from 6 percent for protein, 15 percent for iron, 20 percent for vitamin C, and 38 percent for riboflavin.

There are also a number of external reasons why people are not getting the nutrition one would expect from food. The number of people taking prescription medications, that impact the bioavailability of nutrition, is soaring. People taking certain drugs can not synthesize the nutritional value from food they eat. In other cases, the prescriptions themselves diminish the body.

• Antibiotics like penicillin and Tetracycline often cause deficiencies in B and K vitamins.
• Anti-inflammatories such as Prednisone, Medrol, Decadron and even over-the-counter aspirin can cause loss to important nutrients like Calcium, Vitamin C and Folic Acid.
• Oral Contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy drugs affect the entire range of B Vitamins and can lead to low Folic Acid levels.
• Common antacids and ulcer medications impact Vitamins D and B12, as well as Iron and Zinc.
• Cholesterol drugs like Lipitor, Zocor and others deplete Coenzyme Q10, which can affect cardiovascular function and weaken the immune system.

Another fatal flaw of these articles is that the authors lump all vitamins and supplements together as if they're all the same. The premise of many of the articles I've read is that vitamins (in general) are either needed or not needed. That is way too simplistic. By vitamins, are they talking about multi-vitamins only or are they talking about the various types of individual vitamins available today (such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, etc? Are they talking about Centrum or are they talking about Isotonix® supplements? They are not all the same as you will see.

Let's briefly look at the ingredients of the popular Flintstones vitamins. They contain sorbitol, which is a sweetener, gelatin, a binding agent, natural & artificial flavors (including fruit acids), pregelatinized starch, a thickener, stearic acid, a saturated fat, carrageenan, a stabilizer made from seaweed, hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean, castor), FD&C Red #40 Lake, a dye, FD&C Yellow #6 Lake, a dye, aspartame, an artificial sweetener, xylitol, a sugar alcohol, and FD&C Blue #2 Lake, a dye. Excuse me, but what is hydrogenated oil doing in a health product? I don't know either. Many popular vitamins sold in stores ARE JUNK and should not be consumed. However, there are brands of vitamins and supplements that do not contain binders, fillers, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, alcohol, and hydrogenated oil. So please do NOT lump all vitamins together!!!

Because I am discussing perceptions and misconceptions, I need to lay out the facts about processed milk. One of the greatest misconceptions, or lies, is that processed milk is healthy and that it builds strong bones. Really? Yes, ask anybody, right? If you believe this, you are a sucker and have fallen victim to advertising. See for yourself. Visit The American Dairy Association and Dairy Council's website (http://www.adadc.com/) and read their mission statement. It states: "Our Mission: The mission of the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc. is to economically benefit dairy farmers by encouraging the consumption of milk and dairy products through advertising, education and promotion, to reach consumers with product benefits and advantages." They are being quite clear that they are in business to help the farmers by encouraging the consumption of dairy products through advertising. Nothing wrong with that...except you have all been conned if you think processed milk is good for you and that it helps build strong bones. The fact is that the countries with the highest dairy consumption have the highest rate of osteoporosis. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, the United States and Europe account for 51% of all fractures from osteoporosis and according to the United States Department of Agriculture, countries in the European Union and the United States are the number one and two processed milk consumers in the entire world. Yes, it’s true. Europeans and Americans not only consume the most processed milk, we also suffer the most cases of osteoporosis across the globe. I'm sure our friendly dietician didn't know these facts and probably feels if a person gets enough milk, supplementation (calcium, magnesium, and Vitamin D) is not necessary.

Bottom line. Based on surveys that I've personally conducted, over 70% of the population takes some type of supplementation. Unfortunately, due to the power of advertising and the lack of education, much of the supplementation is garbage and the consumer's money is wasted. When we go into a medical professional's office and survey clients, we ask them if they take any form of supplementation? If the answer is yes, we follow up with a question that asks what happens if they stop taking it- do they feel any difference? Almost always, the answer is no, they don't feel any different. At that point, we pause and ask the patients, if the supplements were working, wouldn't they feel a difference when they stopped taking them? The fact of the matter is so many people take junky supplements that they're not getting any benefit from them. Many top selling brands never even dissolve in the body. That's right. Because of the binders, fillers, and additives, the pills never dissolve. They exit the body in essentially the same shape they entered. Don't believe me? See the image below and Google the term bed pan bullets.

I could go on and on and discuss every type of supplement on the market but I think I've provided some facts and evidence that throwing all vitamins or supplements into the same pot is ridiculous and these articles generalizing supplement usage are nonsense. Some supplements are effective and some are not. Some are effective for certain populations and some are not. My belief is that, as a baseline, everyone should be taking quality multi-vitamin, Omega 3, and B-complex supplements.

For those in pain, or dealing with inflammation, I would strongly suggest a potent anti-oxidant. The most effective that I've found is called Isotonix OPC-3®. Isotonix OPC-3® is an isotonic-capable food supplement that is made from a combination of bilberry, grape seed, red wine and pine bark extracts, and citrus extract bioflavonoids, all found to be powerful antioxidants. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs) are bioflavonoids (complex organic plant compounds) found in fruits, vegetables and certain tree barks that provide exceptional nutritional benefits to the human body. Studies have shown OPCs to be up to 20 times more powerful than vitamin C and 50 times more powerful than vitamin E in neutralizing free radicals.

Phillip along with his wife Beth, own Orlampa Enterprises, Inc. OEI specializes in helping people lose sickness and find wellness. Phillip and Beth also work with health care professionals to implement holistic wellness programs into their existing practice with the goal to educate both the health care provider and the patient. The programs, which provide the health care professional with a substantial additional income stream in this ever changing medical marketplace, allow the patient to achieve true wellness instead of receiving a traditional treatment for symptoms. If you are a health care provider or a patient who would like to receive nutritional counseling from your physician, Please contact Phillip at pb@orlampa.com or Beth at bb@orlampa.com or contact Beth at 727.492.8212.

Orlampa Enterprises is a privately held company based in Trinity, Florida. Contact Phillip at pb@orlampa.com for more information about independent business opportunities.