Vitamins and minerals

Some researchers suspect that people with MS may be more susceptible to oxidative stress (a process that damages cells, making a person more vulnerable to injury and illness) than those who do not get the disease. In support of this theory, Italian researchers found lower levels of vitamin E and ubiquinol, two antioxidants protective against oxidative stress, in the blood of patients with MS compared with healthy controls. If you have MS, therefore, you could consider taking 400-800 international units (IU) vitamin E/day and 30 milligrams coenzyme Q10 (which is converted to ubiquinol in the body) two to three times per day. Selenium (200 micrograms/day) is another antioxidant to consider. Make sure that your doctor knows that you are thinking about using these antioxidants, particularly if you are taking beta-interferon or copolymer 1.

People with MS tend to have low levels of vitamin D, which raises several questions and concerns. People with MS have a much higher rate of bone fractures than people without MS, because they lose bone at a faster rate. This bone loss is attributable to three processes: (1) decreased ability to be physically active; (2) prolonged use of steroidal medications for acute exacerbations of MS; and (3) vitamin D deficiency.

Supplementing with vitamin D is tricky because it may become toxic to the liver at high doses. Although this toxicity generally occurs only at levels greater than 40,000 IU or 1,000 micrograms per day, my conservative recommendation is to take no more than 25-50 micrograms or 1,000-2,000 IU each day. The recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D is 400 IU for healthy adults, but there is some research suggesting that the higher dose may help prevent bone loss in situations such as MS. You should take 500 milligrams calcium two to three times per day along with the vitamin D to help build stronger bones. As always, make sure that your doctor knows you are considering taking these supplements.