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No matter how much you exercise, how healthful your diet is or how well you take care of yourself, there is no way to prevent multiple sclerosis (MS). It affects people randomly. But it also is somewhat manageable. If detected early, new medications may slow the progress of the disease and the severity of symptoms.

There is now preliminary evidence suggesting that higher vitamin D levels are associated with a decreased risk of MS. Research done at Harvard and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that military personnel with higher blood levels of vitamin D during their service were at a lower risk of developing MS. And previous studies, including one done on women who took vitamin D supplements, also show a connection between higher vitamin D levels and lower risk of MS. Other research suggests that ultraviolet radiation from the sun (vitamin D is synthesized in the body as a result of ultraviolet radiation from the sun) may dampen the immune attack, and that people who live closer to the equator—and therefore, get more sun exposure—are less likely to get MS. This growing body of research on the link between vitamin D and risk for MS may help explain this phenomenon. The Institute of Medicine recommends taking vitamin D at 5 micrograms (200 International Units) for children and 5 to 15 micrograms or 200 to 600 International Units for adults per day, depending on age.