A ray of hope in preventing multiple sclerosis (MS) may come in the form of actual rays of sunshine.
Canadian researchers have found that a lack of vitamin D may be a direct cause for the disease — and most vitamin D comes from a chemical reaction caused when sunlight falls on the skin.
Researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, studied DNA samples of 33,996 people, and found those with MS showed common characteristics of vitamin D deficiency.
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The scientists said their study showed “strong evidence in support of a causal role of vitamin D in MS susceptibility.”
MS is an autoimmune disease, where the immune system attacks and destroys the insulation around nerves. The nervous system breaks down, sometimes quite quickly, leading to paralysis.
People with MS routinely show a vitamin D deficiency, but this study is the first to show that there is evidence it is the cause of the disease and not a side effect.
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The researchers point out that the rates of MS increase in the higher latitudes which get less sunlight and where more people have a vitamin D deficiency as a result. They recommend people check with their doctor about taking proper levels of vitamin D supplements if there is a family history of MS.
“This is a common sense precaution, given that vitamin D supplementation is generally safe and inexpensive.” Dr. Brent Richards, who led the research at McGill University.
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The study doesn’t suggest vitamin D can reverse MS, but opens the door into more research about the link between the two and a possible way to prevent people from developing the disease. It was published in the online journal Public Library of Science Medicine.
(READ more at the Guardian) — Photo: Kamil Porembiński , CC
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Public libraries and schools across the U.S. have started “Books on Bikes” programs to take books to kids who can’t get to libraries. Sometimes it involves pedaling to “book deserts” — parts of town where there are no libraries — and other times it means going to community centers or events where kids hang out in the summer.
The Books on Bikes program at Newport News Public Schools in 
Chieftain’s favorite place turned out to be the staff lunchroom. He got to hang out there with his caregivers a few times each week, and, to distract him from the food, they offered him something he would come to love even more — tennis balls. Instead of begging people for their lunches, Chieftain would make them laugh by chasing the ball around the room. All the while, his caregivers worked tirelessly to find him a home where he would feel safe.
