Sunlight and vitamin D ‘can reduce risk of multiple sclerosis’

High vitamin D levels and exposure to sunlight may have an effect on reducing a person's risk of developing multiple sclerosis.

This is the conclusion of a study from Australian National University in Canberra, which involved more than 600 subjects with varying levels of lifetime UV light exposure, ranging from between 500 to more than 6,000 kilojoules per square metre.

It was found that the risk of having a diagnosed first MS event fell by 30 percent for each UV increase of 1,000 kilojoules, while those with the highest levels of skin damage and vitamin D were least likely to develop a first event.

Dr Robyn Lucas, the report's lead author, said: "Previous studies have found similar results, but this is the first study to look at people who have just had the first symptoms of MS and haven't even been diagnosed with the disease yet."

She added that further research into this trend is needed, while noting that limiting sun exposure remains important due to the risk of skin cancer.

According to Multiple Sclerosis Society figures, MS is the most common disabling neurological condition among young adult patients, affecting around 100,000 people in the UK.