High-dose vitamin D supplementation may help treat multiple sclerosis, according to a new study published in Neorology. Peter A. Calabresi, PhD, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and his colleagues analyzed the improvement of vitamin D supplementation in 40 people with relapsing persistent multiple sclerosis with an average age of 18-55 years. Each participant took 10,400 IU (high-dose) or 800 IU (low-dose) of vitamin D3 supplements daily for 6 months. In comparison, the recommended standard intake of vitamin D for adults aged 18-70 years is 600 IU/day. At the beginning of the study and during months 3 and 6, researchers assessed each participant’s vitamin D levels by drawing blood specimens and also assessed the subject’s associated T-cell response. The results of the study showed that if participants took high doses of vitamin D3 supplements, they reduced the percentage of lower MS-associated T cells. The researchers found that when blood vitamin D levels were higher than 18 ng/ml, then body vitamin D levels increased, and for every 5 ng/ml increase, the number of interleukin-17 T cells in the blood would decrease by 1%, and these cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of MS. There was no decrease in the number of interleukin-17 T cells in participants who took low doses of vitamin D3. There is no cure for MS. But Dr. Calabresi believes that these recent findings suggest that there may be an effective treatment option. If the findings can be confirmed, this would be a boon for MS patients, as vitamin D supplementation is cheap, safe and convenient for MS patients.