Researchers of UC San Francisco and the Australian National University have shown that sun exposure could protect children and young adults against multiple sclerosis (MS), according to Science Daily.
They conducted a study that follows previous research by other scientists that has demonstrated a connection between increased ultraviolet (UV) exposure in childhood and a lower risk of adult MS.
The study, published online Wednesday in the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, looked at 332 participants aged between 3 and 22, who had had MS for an average of seven months.
The researchers assessed their locations and amount of sun exposure and compared them to 534 other participants who had no MS. They found that the participants who spent an average of 30 to 60 minutes outdoors daily had a 52% lower risk of MS.
Co-senior author Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant said, “Sun exposure is known to boost vitamin D levels. It also stimulates immune cells in the skin that have a protective role in diseases such as MS. Vitamin D may also change the biological function of the immune cells and, as such, play a role in protecting against autoimmune diseases.”
MS usually occurs in adults aged between 20 and 50; however, about 3% to 5% of the approximately one million Americans with the condition experience symptoms in childhood.
The authors also estimated that Florida residents would be 21% less likely to have MS compared to New York residents, noting that sun exposure was “dose-dependent,” which means the longer the exposure the lower the risk. Furthermore, they said even exposure in the first year of life seemed to protect against MS, according to Science Daily.
Dr. Waubant noted that the use of sunscreen does not appear to lessen the therapeutic effects of sunlight in offering protection against MS.
She said clinical trials are needed to determine if “increasing sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation can prevent the development of MS or alter disease course post-diagnosis.”
Meanwhile, she added, “advising regular time in the sun of at least 30 minutes daily especially during summer, using sun protection as needed, especially for first degree relatives of MS patients, maybe a worthwhile intervention to reduce the incidence of MS.”
Studies have shown that limited sun exposure or vitamin D deficiency have been associated with conditions such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, dementia, schizophrenia, and other auto-immune diseases like lupus, Type 1 diabetes, and Crohn’s disease. The article appeared in Science Daily.
