Research over the years has shown that maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D may have a protective effect and lower the risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). A number of studies have shown that people who get more sun exposure and vitamin D in their diet have a lower risk of MS .
In addition to modulating immune responses, some preclinical studies suggest vitamin D may play a direct role in myelin repair by increasing the production of oligodendrocytes — the cells chiefly responsible for making new myelin in the brain and spinal cord.
Note that the American Academy of Neurology multiple sclerosis subcommittee recently reviewed literature on Vitamin D deficiency and MS and recommended a wide range of doses from 300- 4000 units per day of Vitamin D3.
In addition to its protective effects, vitamin D has recently been put in the spotlight to uncover if it can help drive remyelination – the process by which specialized cells repair the damage to the myelin that ensheathes nerve fibres in the central nervous system – in people living with MS.
Vitamins that seem of particular interest to people with MS include vitamin D, the antioxidant vitamins, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.
Vitamin C is known to participate in myelin formation (10, 11). Collagen synthesis, which is dependent on Vitamin C, has also been linked to the formation of myelin sheath (12, 13). Vitamin C can be found in foods such as peppers, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, and berries.
High-fat diet in combination with exercise training increases myelin protein expression. PLP and MBP levels were highest in the group that exercised and consumed a high-fat diet. Exercise training or high fat consumption alone also increased PLP.
Disease-modifying MS therapies, such as beta interferon drugs, infusion treatments, and oral medications, have been shown to be powerfully effective when it comes to preventing new lesions. These treatments can reduce existing inflammation, too.
The human body has an amazing natural ability to repair myelin and get nerves working properly again. Myelin is repaired or replaced by special cells in the brain called oligodendrocytes. These cells are made from a type of stem cell found in the brain, called oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs).
Higher levels of vitamin D are associated with reduced risk for developing multiple sclerosis (MS), and with reduced clinical activity in established MS, including decreased risk of relapse and reduction in disease activity on brain MRI [1, 2].
Many people with MS experience a temporary worsening of their symptoms when the weather is very hot or humid, or when they run a fever. These temporary changes can result from even a slight elevation in core body temperature (one-quarter to one-half of a degree).
Robust remyelination occurs by 16 days post-treatment.
Abnormal immune reaction believed to attack myelin
In MS, an abnormal immune system response produces inflammation in the central nervous system. This process: Damages/destroys myelin and oligodendrocytes. Causes damage to the underlying nerve fiber.
Most lesions will heal, but they often leave behind a “footprint” of where they had been. In essence, this is the scarring (the hardening or “sclerosis”) that gives multiple sclerosis its name. Some lesions aren't able to repair themselves, in part because the specialized cells that produce myelin are damaged or dead.
1. MS is a chronic condition. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic condition, which means it's long-lasting, and there's no cure for it. That said, it's important to know that for the vast majority of people who have MS, the disease isn't fatal.
Conclusions: Brainstem lesions in MS patients can disappear on subsequent imaging. Disappearing MRI lesions may delay the diagnosis. These results suggest that more weight should be given to the reported clinical brainstem events, especially in the initial diagnosis of MS.
These data suggested that vitamin B12 increased the level of MBP, which plays vital roles in the myelination process and the appropriate formation of myelin thickness and compactness. Meanwhile, LFB staining showed that vitamin B12 restored myelin by reducing the vacuolar changes in the myelin sheath after TBI.
In MS, immune cells attack the protective myelin coating around our nerve cells. When myelin becomes damaged, messages find it harder to get through – or can't get through at all – causing the symptoms of MS. Our brains have a natural ability to regenerate myelin.
Answer and Explanation: Collagen does indirectly help direct growth of the myelin sheath, particularly in the peripheral nervous system. Collagen is a protein of the extracellular matrix, the substance that surrounds cells in our body.
There is no cure for multiple sclerosis. Treatment typically focuses on speeding recovery from attacks, reducing new radiographic and clinical relapses, slowing the progression of the disease, and managing MS symptoms. Some people have such mild symptoms that no treatment is necessary.
It is often recommended that people with MS undertake regular exercise to help manage their condition and maintain physical function. These promising early results, if confirmed in larger and longer studies, suggest resistance training may also help slow the progression of MS in certain individuals.