If you’ve been told to load up on vitamin D to help with MS, you’re not alone.
For years, that’s been the message within the MS community: take vitamin D. Lots of it to lower your risk of symptoms and relapse. It seemed like the simplest and cheapest addition to our wellness routine. And bonus? Both conventional and functional medicine agreed on it.
But now, new research is calling all of that into question.
Two recent studies: one from Johns Hopkins University and another from Australia and New Zealand—concluded that high doses of vitamin D didn’t significantly reduce MS activity or delay progression. It’s confusing, disappointing, and for many of us, a little scary.
But before you toss those vitamin D bottles in the trash, let’s take a closer look.
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What We Thought We Knew About Vitamin D and MS
Low vitamin D levels have long been associated with:
- Higher rates of relapse
- Increased disability
- Brain atrophy
- Other chronic conditions like autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer
So, naturally, many of us leaned on it as a foundational piece of our health strategy. It felt like a no-brainer.
Personally, I make it a point to have my levels tested at least twice a year. When I was first diagnosed, my vitamin D was a shocking 11. With my doctor’s guidance, I supplemented heavily and eventually reached a stable 50, right in the optimal range. That shift, combined with other lifestyle changes, brought more stability and energy into my life.
It’s worth noting that vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means your body stores it. It doesn’t just flush out like vitamin C or the B vitamins. So testing is key. More isn’t always better.
The New Research: What It Found
Study 1: Johns Hopkins University
This study looked at people with relapsing-remitting MS (the most common type) and compared high doses of vitamin D to lower doses. After 96 weeks, they found no significant difference in relapses or brain lesions between the two groups.
Study 2: Australia–New Zealand
This one focused on people with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), which is often a precursor to MS. The goal was to see if vitamin D could delay a full MS diagnosis. After 48 weeks, vitamin D didn’t appear to change the outcome.
On the surface, these results are disappointing. But here’s the thing: the participants didn’t start off with severely low vitamin D levels. So we’re still left wondering—what about those of us who were deficient?
When I think back to how low my levels were at diagnosis, I can’t help but question whether these findings apply to someone in my shoes.
Is It Just About the Supplement?
There’s another angle we need to consider.
Rates of MS are significantly lower near the equator, where sun exposure is higher. That’s what led researchers to connect sunshine to vitamin D in the first place. But what if it’s not just the vitamin D we’re getting from the sun? What if sunshine offers more than what can be captured in a supplement?
This is the same concept we see with food. You can isolate a nutrient from broccoli and put it in a pill but it won’t give you all the benefits that come from eating real, whole broccoli.
Sunlight may work the same way.
I know for many of us with heat intolerance, being out in the sun is tricky. Personally, I aim for short, manageable bursts of sunshine. Being near water like a pool or the ocean helps me stay cool. I also try to take advantage of cooler days when I can enjoy the sun without overwhelming my system.
So… Should You Still Take Vitamin D?
Here’s my personal take:
- I’ll still be checking my vitamin D levels twice a year.
- I’ll still supplement as needed to stay within an optimal range.
- And I’ll still be intentional about spending time in the sun.
Because even if vitamin D supplements don’t prevent relapses, they do support immune function, mood, and energy. And I’ve felt the difference firsthand.
Plus, with the winter months ahead, low vitamin D can contribute to seasonal depression, something many of us already struggle with. So staying on top of your levels can be a key part of managing mood and mental health, too.
Bottom Line
These new studies don’t necessarily mean vitamin D is useless. But they do challenge the idea that more is always better.
For me and maybe for you too, vitamin D will still have a place in my MS toolbox. I’m just using it with more intention and continuing to focus on the full picture of my health: sunshine, food, movement, rest, and connection.
It’s all about balance.
Want more encouragement like this? Tune into this week’s special episode of My MS Podcast:
🎧 Vitamin D: Does It Help MS?
Listen now to My MS Podcast.
Want to lower your risk of MS symptoms and relapse? Take vitamin D, a lot of it. That's basically the message to the MS community for years. So we've stocked up on our supplements and took them daily, but now recent research suggests that this may not be true. Two studies concluded that high doses of vitamin D did not significantly reduce
Just as a reminder, this discussion is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Please continue to work with your doctor for all your medical needs. If you're looking to jumpstart your healing with smoothies that are both delicious and healing, join my five-day smoothie challenge at alenebrennan.com/smoothies. You'll receive recipes, shopping lists, and smoothie demos, and so much more.
I'm your host, Alene Brennan. I don't know about you, but I've always viewed vitamin D as the easiest and quite honestly, the cheapest strategy to manage MS. It can't stand alone as treatment for us, but it was a little extra layer of protection. And it was something that conventional and functional medicine agreed upon, which is no small feat. They said things like low vitamin D levels were associated with higher rates of relapse, more severe disability, more brain atrophy, and higher rates of many chronic health problems.
And really, this wasn't just with the MS community. Low levels of vitamin D were associated with higher risks of autoimmune disease across the board and even mental health, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Those are some pretty substantial reasons to take this small supplement that's relatively inexpensive. One important message that has always come along with this, and I personally have shared with this community many times,
Now I average around 50, which is really good. The quote unquote average for vitamin D is often said to be between 30 and 70, but many functional medicine practitioners feel being in the upper end of this or even a bit higher is optimal. It's important to get your specific levels tested though, because vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means that your body doesn't have the ability to just flush out excess;
so that's why it's important to go to your doctor and get tested to know your specific levels and then therefore how much you need to be supplementing with. Now, I never heard or met somebody who had too high vitamin D levels, but it's just the smart thing to do. So get your levels tested and that way you know exactly how much to supplement with. Okay, I wanted to set the stage for us about vitamin D, but now let's dive into these studies.
Were diagnosed with as well. So we have relapses or flares, times when we experience symptoms that last for days, weeks, or even months, but it's followed by a remission, times when those symptoms go away. So Johns Hopkins University was trying to determine the difference between high versus low doses of vitamin D with individuals with relapsing-remitting.
Did they live in sunny environments or did they live in an overcast area? Personally, I'm not quick to dismiss the value of vitamin D based on this study alone. Now let's hop over to the Australia, New Zealand study. This trial was to determine if any dose of vitamin D could delay the onset of MS in people diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome or CIS.
Classified as CIS, essentially a one-time occurrence. If you do experience additional episodes over time, it could lead to a diagnosis of MS. So this study was trying to see if any dose of vitamin D could delay the onset of MS in people diagnosed with clinically isolated syndrome. The result? After 48 weeks, there were no significant
wondering, would someone with a significant deficiency benefit differently from vitamin D supplements? Maybe. As I said earlier, when I was diagnosed with MS, my vitamin D level was at 11. That's crazy low. But again, now it's 50. And I can definitely say that I not only feel better, but MS is obviously more stable now too. Now, can I say that that's directly related to vitamin D levels? No.
Any sunshine. And I've actually been part of conversations on research that's happening right now to see if the key factor for us is to get vitamin D from sun versus supplements. Because we know there are lower levels of MS in areas that are closer to the equator. The further you get away from the equator, the higher the rates of MS. Crazy, right? In areas near the equator, MS occurs in fewer than one out of 100,000 people. In areas farther from the equator, such as Northern Europe and Northern North America, MS occurs in around 30 to 80 people out of 100,000 people. That's a significant difference because what happens around the equator, you get more exposure to the sun.
It offers multiple nutrients that work together to provide your body with maximum benefits. Turns out the sun might be the same. We can't just take a supplement and call it a day. We do actually have to spend time in the sunshine. Now, as someone who has heat intolerance, I'm right there with all of you who are saying, that's great, but how can we get sunshine without suffering the effects of heat?
When I know I'll be more comfortable. Okay, so let's bring this full circle here. These two new studies suggest that vitamin D might not be the holy grail of supplements like we originally told. But it doesn't mean that we completely discredit the supplement or the natural source of vitamin D. Hello, sunshine. Personally, I'm going to continue to check my vitamin D levels with my doctor and based on the results, supplement accordingly. Okay, my friends, this wraps today's episode of MS in the News. Well, my friend, we've reached the end of this episode. Pick one lesson from today's discussion and put it into action now. It's time to reclaim your body, mind and life from multiple sclerosis. And for more resources, events, and programs, head over to alenebrennan. com. See you on the next episode of my MS podcast.
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