Scottish Vitamin D Summit Captures International Attention

Press statement For immediate release : 

Shine on Scotland campaigners and the MS Society Scotland held productive talks with the Scottish Government yesterday as planning continues for the Scottish Summit on Vitamin D and MS which will take place in Glasgow in September.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon will open the event at which international researchers and scientists will be present to discuss the latest research on vitamin D and the implications for public health policy in Scotland.

In recent weeks more researchers from as far afield as Australia have confirmed their attendance at the summit.  International media organisations have also expressed an interest in the event which looks set to be high profile.

Looking ahead to September, Ryan McLaughlin said:

“It’s incredibly exciting that it’s now so close.  A lot of work has gone into the campaign and hopefully this summit will make a real difference.  The Scottish Government and Parliament have been very supportive of the campaign and it’s great to have reached this stage”.

Craig Wilkie, Head of Policy and Communications at MS Society Scotland also attended the meeting at St Andrews House:

“The Summit is a great opportunity to bring internationally renowned researchers to Scotland to discuss a hugely important public health issue.  The focus will be a practical one in terms of public health policy and we have the chance to learn lessons from other countries and make a significant contribution to the health of the nation”.

www.shineonscotland.org.uk

Oliver Gillie: Time to abandon this outdated view on staying out of the sun

Lack of sunshine and the vitamin that it makes in our skin is probably the most serious single cause of disease in the UK today.

Vitamin D deficiency is well known as the classic cause of rickets and serious bone diseases, but in the last 10 years it has also been identified as a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, infections, some cancers and other ills.

The cost of all this disease to the UK has been put at an astounding £27bn annually, which compares with only £5bn for the cost of disease caused by smoking.

Small amounts of vitamin D can be obtained from food but you can’t obtain more than about 10 per cent of the optimal amount this way unless you eat oily fish – skin and all – three times a day.

We depend on the sun for our vitamin D. Since our weather is so unreliable, British people suffer more than almost any other from vitamin D deficiency.

Many years of bad advice has also been a factor.

The British Isles are located far north so the winter sun is not strong enough to make any vitamin D. The prevailing westerly wind bringing cloud in from the Atlantic is also against us. The Scots are worst off because there is nothing to the west to protect them. Their vitamin D levels are lower and they have the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the world.

Scientists studying MS now believe that it may be prevented if women take vitamin D in pregnancy and children take regular supplements. Another devastating disease, diabetes type 1 – affecting mostly children who must inject themselves with insulin – could be prevented by the same vitamin D supplements.

Indeed it is possible that these two diseases could now be eradicated if Government had the will.

However a recommendation that pregnant women take vitamin D has been ignored over many years by obstetricians.

Standard advice is that babies are not given vitamin D until they are six months old. Nobody any longer remembers the reason for this, which is implemented nowhere else.

Everybody thinks that breast milk is a complete food – and so it might be if mothers sunbathed as often as they can. As it is, breast milk in the UK is deficient in vitamin D while artificial milk is supplemented.

This need not be a problem if mothers give vitamin D drops to their babies. Melanoma, the worst form of skin cancer, has dramatically increased during some 20 years of advice to avoid the sun and use suncream. This is quite possibly because the advice has been wrong. Suncream blocks the action of UVB (shortwave ultraviolet radiation from the sun) – so blocking synthesis of vitamin D with loss of protection against cancer – while UVA (longwave radiation), which seems to carry the main risk of melanoma, is not blocked by many creams.

We could do much, much more. The Irish Republic has already fortified semi-skimmed milk with vitamin D, Finland has fortified milk and Israel is making milk fortification mandatory. Jordan is bringing in fortification of bread.

The UK the Food Standards Agency has hummed and hawed. The United States has had fortification for 80 years. What are the English and Scots waiting for?

The one simple action open to us all is to sunbathe, carefully without burning. The sun is natural, free, and safe if you are sensible. It’s also good to take a vitamin D supplement of at least 1000 to 2000 IUs [international units of measurement] per day.

The author is a health writer and vitamin D campaigner.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/oliver-gillie-time-to-abandon-this-outdated-view-on-staying-out-of-the-sun-2018389.html

Vitamin D: hope on the horizon for MS prevention?

The worldwide prevalence and incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS) are on the increase. The need for strategies to prevent this devastating disease is therefore greater than ever.

As highlighted in a Review in this issue of The Lancet Neurology, vitamin D deficiency might be an important modifiable risk factor for MS. This raises the question of whether population-wide supplementation programmes might be a reasonable prevention strategy.

Vitamin D deficiency is especially common in high latitude regions, such as northern USA, Canada, northern Europe, and New Zealand, where weaker ultraviolet B rays during winter months are insufficient for people to produce enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has traditionally been linked to bone diseases such as rickets; in addition to MS, links with other diseases such as type 1 diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases, and some types of cancer are now emerging. Pregnant women, young children, and the elderly are at the greatest risk. Vitamin D deficiency might also adversely affect disease course in many disorders, including MS, although evidence for this is less robust.

The main sources of vitamin D are sunlight and diet, but many people do not get sufficient amounts, so dietary supplements are required. The current recommended daily intake of vitamin D is typically 200—400 IU/day in Europe, and in the USA and Canada, where some foods are fortified with vitamin D, the recommendation is for 200—600 IU/day. The US National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine is currently reviewing the dietary reference intakes for vitamin D and calcium and is due to report its recommendations at the end of summer 2010.

Expert recommendations for optimum serum vitamin D concentrations range from 50 nmol/L to 100 nmol/L; the total daily need for vitamin D, from sunshine, diet, and supplementation, to achieve this concentration is thought to be 1000—4000 IU/day, depending on factors such as age, geographical region, and health status. The risks of taking high doses of vitamin D are thought to be low, and the main concern of overdose is hypercalcaemia. However, given that an adult who spends 20 min in summer sunshine can produce an oral intake equivalent of about 10 000 IU/day, the suggested dose of 1000—4000 IU/day is unlikely to be toxic. Recent evidence suggests that prolonged intake of 10 000 IU/day (and even up to 40 000 IU/day) poses no risk for adults.

So far, the evidence for a protective effect of vitamin D on MS largely comes from ecological and observational studies, although evidence is accumulating on possible mechanisms linking vitamin D deficiency and autoimmunity. Large-scale, long-term randomised controlled trials on high-dose vitamin D supplementation would be needed to definitively establish a protective effect and to identify any unexpected long-term complications. But it could take decades before data on MS prevention become available.

In the meantime, because the risks seem to be low, is there already a case for widespread vitamin D supplementation?

Scotland is one such region where the prevalence and incidence of MS, and other diseases related to vitamin D deficiency, are already so high that the benefits of supplementation are likely to outweigh any potential side-effects. During an upcoming summit in Scotland, hosted by MS Society Scotland and resulting from the Shine on Scotland campaign, researchers will present the case to Scottish government officials for vitamin D supplements to be made freely available for all young children and pregnant women.

As vitamin D is an inexpensive supplement, the potential cost savings of such a programme are enormous, and in addition to MS, might have implications for numerous diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency. In Europe, if the predicted effects of raising serum vitamin D concentrations to 100 nmol/L are realised, the potential savings have been estimated to be €187 billion per year from the direct and indirect burden of disease, set against an expenditure of €10 billion on testing and public education. As well as the possible health benefits, such a supplementation programme might provide important research opportunities to understand the long-term effects of vitamin D.

Trials are needed to address the numerous questions that remain to be answered about dosing levels, potential long-term complications, and causal mechanisms, among others. In the meantime, given the low costs, low toxicity, and possible beneficial effects of supplementation programmes, steps to tackle vitamin D deficiency in high-risk populations seem warranted. Because any benefits for MS in particular will take decades to emerge, a long-term outlook is needed from policy makers, but future health and financial benefits have the potential to make this investment highly rewarding.

Source: The Lancet Neurology Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Limited. (25/05/10)

MS Society Scotland  :

Vitamin D – Renewed Hope for MS Prevention

25.05.10 

The current issue of The Lancet Neurology contains a review of evidence on vitamin D deficiency as a possible risk factor for MS, raising the question of whether supplementation programmes could be a reasonable prevention strategy. The review concludes that “given the low costs, low toxicity, and possible beneficial effects of supplementation programmes, steps to tackle vitamin D deficiency in high-risk populations seem warranted”. Scotland is specifically identified as a country where the large numbers of people living with MS, and other conditions related to vitamin D deficiency, make it likely that the benefits of supplementation would outweigh any potential side-effects.

The Lancet article mentions the Shine on Scotland campaign and the international summit on vitamin D and MS which the MS Society Scotland will be hosting in September. Leading researchers from around the word will be coming to Scotland for the summit and presenting the latest research to build the case for taking action on vitamin D as a public health issue.

Over the longer term, as the article makes clear, trials are needed to address questions about dosage levels, long-term implications and causal mechanisms but this is not viewed as an impediment to beginning a supplementation programme now or in the very near future. The potential savings are simply huge – estimates suggest that €187 billion per year could be saved across Europe by tackling vitamin D deficiency.

Commenting on the article, David McNiven, Director of MS Society Scotland, said:
“The Lancet article is very encouraging because it endorses the arguments that we have been making: that vitamin D supplementation represents a low-cost, low-risk public health intervention with potentially massive benefits. I very much look forward to welcoming internationally renowned scientists to Scotland later this year to explore the issue further. The Shine on Scotland campaign has made incredible progress in just over a year and the MS Society Scotland will continue to work with the Scottish Government and others on this important matter of public health”.

The full Lancet article can be accessed at www.thelancet.com

There is also a review article which discusses some of the areas where research is needed, for example the influence of vitamin D in MS progression. Vitamin D review article 

Shine the light on MS

Should Scotland introduce a Vitamin D supplementation programme?

When Ryan McLaughlin was 14 he found himself displaying symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Acutely aware of the condition as a result of his mother’s diagnosis two years previously, he was referred to Yorkhill hospital for tests. Hoping to learn of a cure, he sought answers on the internet and came across research from Oxford University, highlighting the link between Vitamin D deficiency and MS. 

“To be honest with you, I kind of discounted it at first, thinking it was a wee bit too simple,” says dad, Alan. “He went back upstairs and had another good read of the research and came back down and said would it not be just as easy to put the vitamins straight into the milk and then every child has protection. We thought that was a brilliant idea and that is really when we took notice.” With the help of the MS Society Scotland, Ryan, whose suffering turned out to be stress causing his body to mimic the symptoms of his mother’s condition, formed the Shine on Scotland campaign and took his proposals to the Scottish Parliament. His petition attracted over 1500 signatures and since then the Scottish Government has agreed to run an awareness campaign highlighting the links between Vitamin D, the so-called sunshine vitamin, and MS. 

However, his long-term aim remains that Vitamin D supplements be offered to every child and pregnant women. 

This goal was given a significant boost last week following the publication of an article in the Lancet Neurology journal. 

In addition to casting a spotlight on Scotland, the article also references the Shine on Scotland campaign and argues that as Vitamin D is an inexpensive supplement, the potential cost savings of such a programme are enormous. 

It continues: “In Europe, if the predicted effects of raising serum Vitamin D concentrations to 100 nmol/L are realised, the potential savings have been estimated to be €187 billion [c £160bn] per year from the direct and indirect burden of disease, set against an expenditure of €10 billion on testing and public education.” While it makes clear that trials are still needed to address questions about dosage levels and long-term implications, it nevertheless argues that given the high prevalence and incidence of MS in Scotland, as well as other diseases related to Vitamin D deficiency such as many types of cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, “the benefits of supplementation are likely to outweigh any potential side-effects” and so should not be seen as an impediment to beginning a supplementation programme in the near future. 

The McLaughlin family are understandably delighted with the news and argue that a supplementation programme should be introduced without delay. 

“I think there has got to be some movement on it, one way or another now,” says Alan. 

“To go to a cohort study will take five years. 

To go to a randomised control study will probably be a ten-year process and we would be looking at probably another 15 years on top before we see a result and get proper data from it and that is too long. Children are suffering. The numbers are growing for MS for children vastly and obviously, people are being diagnosed a lot younger and that means folk are suffering now. So we can’t wait 15 to 20 years to get a result and then take action.” He continues: “A large study would cost between £10-25m. Whereas the Government literally could say we go and allow fortification for certain products at a higher dosage and share some of the burden and cost of that with the food industry and what you will have is healthier kids with a built up immune system at very little cost to the Government to implement it and hopefully, you will see an instant improvement in people’s health.” Certainly, the food industry is not waiting on the Government to make up its mind, he argues. 

“There are plans afoot already by several brands on the market to start putting Vitamin D into all sorts of foods. We’ve already seen it with powdered milk - SMA and Cow & Gate have already started putting it in. Nestle have started putting it into some of their products abroad but not in the UK. They have already brought out Vitamin D in Australia in Kit Kat bars. That will happen here as well, with the right encouragement.” There is growing international recognition of the issue, says Alan, pointing out that US President Barack Obama has recently launched a task force to look at Vitamin D deficiency and Ryan has already written to First Lady Michelle Obama, who is spearheading the ‘Let’s move’ campaign to end childhood obesity to tell her about his campaign in Scotland. 

“American groups are up in arms,” Alan says, “they really want it. North America, especially. 

Australia started campaigning last week. 

Germany kicks one off in a week’s time. 

“So it has caught on and the research is there to prove the theory. 

“I think we are way by the point where people don’t believe it anymore, it is now just about taking action and seeing how much it will help.” And there is a sense that Scotland is leading the field on this issue, argues Craig Wilkie, head of policy and communications, MS Society Scotland. 

“Partly that is because some of the most significant research has been done in the UK and has been taken up in a Scottish context throughout this campaign,” he says, “and from our perspective, the Scottish Government has been very receptive to looking at that, considering that and working with us to see what some of the implications might be.” There is certainly much to consider. In March a group of international experts, health professionals, politicians and patient representatives met in Brussels to call for action to address widespread deficiency of Vitamin D in Europe. 

“Most of the experts and health professionals there were very much of the view that this is quite a significant challenge and it was described by one of the participants as the low-lying fruit of public health - the next stage that governments could and should consider,” explains Wilkie, who attended the meeting. 

Unfortunately, the meeting tended to be a little bit focused on the academic research itself rather than some of the policies that politicians and governments might look at, he says. However, he is hopeful that the summit that is being hosted by MS Society Scotland with support from the Scottish Government later this year will provide a forum for such debate. 

The summit, which had been scheduled for April but was postponed due to the volcanic ash cloud, will now be held in Scotland in September. 

“It is quite exciting for us to be able to bring these people into the same room to look at a potentially important issue,” he says. 

“One of the things that is interesting, at least to me, about Vitamin D is that even though the research and the evidence is still emerging, and some of it is still at a reasonably early stage, I think, especially in the current climate, that it is important that the options we are looking at are relatively low cost. And even if the benefit as yet is not absolutely definitive, the potential benefit is actually quite big and at the same time, the risks seem to be very low. 

“So the combination of all those factors make it potentially quite a significant area to look at in relation to public health and one that might bring a lot of benefit for not very much investment.” Backing the Lancet article’s calls for action now on supplementation, Wilkie says he would like to see the Government giving serious consideration to a programme of supplementation for at-risk groups, such as young children, pregnant women, and certain ethnic minority groups who may tend to cover up and so do not receive the same exposure to the sun. 

However, alongside this he would also like to see more co-ordination of public health messages around how to boost levels of Vitamin D naturally. 

“By and large, the message on sunscreen and so on has been quite a successful one in public health terms. But one of the implications of that in a country like Scotland is that people are actually denying themselves the opportunity to get Vitamin D from the sun, which is the most obvious and plentiful source of it. Even ten, 15 minutes in the sun prior to putting on sunscreen can make a difference. So one of the things that we’ve been talking about with the Government is how you can try and coordinate some of those messages and look at some of the unintended consequences of certain health messages around sunscreen, for example.” While he says there is still a long way to go, he says it is remarkable what the Shine on Scotland campaign has managed to achieve in a relatively short time, which he credits in no small part to Ryan’s unstinting “enthusiasm and commitment”. 

“He is always looking for new opportunities to expand the campaign or add different dimensions to it. He is quite an extraordinary young man. So it is no surprise that he is getting things done,” Wilkie says. 

Alan is also proud of what his son has achieved. “He’s done a fantastic job with it. 

He’s got his own wee style in the way he speaks to the Government and to manage to get the whole government on side, he has done really well. 

“For the last year he has just been stuck in his room, apart from when he is doing his Taekwondo, researching and annoying politicians until they give in.” And he has been right to do so, Alan says. 

“It is not as if they are giving in for any reason other than that he’s right. The research is 40 years old now. It was only last year that Oxford University found that specific gene which proved the theory, but the Vitamin D hypothesis has been there for nearly going on 40 years. So it is about time something is done about it.”

Vitamin D - Harvard Uni research strongly supports Vitamin d will slow MS progression

A recent study by Harvard University has suggested that on the basis of all current evidence over 70% of cases of Multiple sclerosis in the US and Europe could be prevented by keeping Vitamin D levels above 100nmol.


They say that the studies suggest supplementation in the order of 4,000-10,000 iu per day, for people with first episode of MS, and for people with MS could slow progression.

The researchers will give evidence at the Shine On Scotland International summit on Vitamin D hosted by MS Society Scotland in Glasgow on September 21st 2010.

McLaughlin Institute unveils $4.3 million expansion work

A $4.3 million expansion and renovation of McLaughlin Research Institute will give scientists more room to study and possibly find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and multiple sclerosis.

"This expansion is important to furthering the research to cure the diseases that, sad to say, affect all of us," said Leslie Oakland, chairwoman of McLaughlin's fund drive committee, at Friday's dedication of the updated facility.

Oakland's committee raised $2.3 million for the expansion. That money was matched by a $2 million grant from the Montana Department of Commerce.

The construction, which took place over the last two years, added 6,000 square feet to McLaughlin's building, located at 1520 23rd St. S., and renovated another 13,000 square feet.

The changes will make room for two new scientists, one of whom started last year, and their mice.

"Our animal space has increased at least 40 percent," said Julie Amato, McLaughlin's animal resource center manager.

The McLaughlin Research Institute moved into its current building in 1993. It didn't take long for the institute to outgrow its mice-handling areas, said George Carlson, institute director.

"This project actually came about because of the success in generating mouse models to study disease," Carlson said.

Scientists at McLaughlin insert human DNA into mice, which creates a mouse model that can be used to study human diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's.

McLaughlin currently has about 15,000 mice, Amato said. She expects that to grow to 40,000 to 50,000 mice now that there is room for them.

The additional state-of-the-art space will help the institute recruit more scientists, she added.

The remodel also will help keep the mice sterile. The building's new design features separate areas for dirty mice and supplies, and clean mice and supplies. That will help keep the mice free of pathogens, Amato said. The expansion includes two new cage washers, which increases the number of animals that staff can care for on a daily basis.

The remodel was complicated by the fact that scientists continued their research in the building throughout the construction process.

"We didn't move the mice out," Carlson said.

During the project, staff had to make sure mice were in areas where they weren't disturbed by noise and vibration from the construction.

Sletten Construction Company, the general contractor for the project, did a great job of working around the scientists and their animals, Carlson said.

Tony Preite, state director of commerce, expects the expansion to bolster the Great Falls and Montana economies because of the high-paying jobs it will add. He also noted the importance of work that could lead to cures for certain diseases.

"This is an import project not only for Great Falls, not only for Montana, but for everyone on earth," he said.

The research McLaughlin scientists do is vital, Oakland added.

"We have to have basic bio-medical research," she said. "Without that, we couldn't treat these diseases."

Reach Tribune staff writer Erin Madison at 791-1466, 800-438-6600 oremadison@greatfallstribune.com.

Ryan Mclaughlin launches ‘Fortify Scotland’s school milk’ campaign

Ryan McLaughlin launches ‘Fortify Scotland’s school milk’ campaign

15 year old Ryan McLaughlin founder of the award winning Shine on Scotland campaign has launched a new social networking campaign to gain public support for his Idea of adding vitamin D to all school milk in Scotland. The 15 year old campaigner believes that vitamin D is so important to improving the health of scottish kids and wants to ascertain how many parents agree with him, using the social platform Facebook.


Ryan is asking scottish parents to join the group and have their say on the subject.


A recent scientific review undertaken by the Lancet said if Europe adopted his idea for supplementation the result would save Europe a incredible £165 billion a year.


The World Health Organisation have advised previously that Scotland should start a national supplementation program of vitamin d.


The campaigner says ‘much work still has to be done to get the RDA of vitamin D raised significantly and I will work with the Scottish Government, SACN and the FSA to get that done, but I am positive that fortifying school milk with vitamin D offers the best solution to offering protection to all kids in Scotland’


I am proud to say that the Scottish Government have been amazing in supporting my goals, they have really listened and acted on the current evidence in support of vitamin D, as more evidence is put in place I believe that the case for fortification of school milk will increase, the Scottish government have not ruled out my proposal for fortified school milk they have said  that following advice from the FSA Scotland, the Scottish Government believes that it would not be appropriate to introduce fortified milk (or other fortified drinks) at school until such time as the evidence base is more conclusive about the impact on the population.


However this was said before new research released by the scottish government and the announcement that NHS Scotland said there was now an ‘urgent need to educate women and that all pregnant mothers and all children up to the age of 4 should be taking vitamin D everyday’.


Now that BUPA have said that they believe vitamin D could prevent cancer and Israel announced all 3% milk is to be fortified I think we need to ask the Scottish Government to look at this again as the evidence is certainly more conclusive and it can only have a healthy impact on the population .





Almost all milk in the US is fortified with vitamin D, Israel has moved to fortify all 3% milk, Jordan has agreed to fortify all bread and canada has opted for national supplementation.


http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=150104079977&ref=nf

Ryan Mclaughlin confirms a new campaign video coming soon

Ryan Mclaughlin has confirmed that he is finalising a new film script for a new youtube campaign due to be launched early July 2010, the new Shine on Scotland campaign film will look to expand on the aim of the Shine On Scotland campaign and to raise further awareness of vitamin D and the link to MS.

Ryan Mclaughlin wants to spread the message of vitamin D and the possible prevention of  MS .

He believes that Multiple Sclerosis does not wear a flag, MS crosses all borders and unites us all together to prevent it !  MS prevention is now a global fight it’s a movement to prevent this disease for our children !


Follow the campaign at http://www.shineonscotland.org.uk

schoolboy campaigner calls for vitamin D programme to help fight MS

Scientists studying the high incidence of multiple sclerosis in Scotland have urged the Holyrood Government to introduce a nationwide programme of vitamin D supplements for pregnant women and children to help combat the disease.

Under the heading Vitamin D: hope on the horizon for MS prevention? the June issue of The Lancet Neurology insists the benefits of supplementation outweigh any potential side effects and concludes “given the low costs, low toxicity … steps to tackle vitamin D deficiency in high-risk populations seem warranted.”

Vitamin D is sometimes known as the “sunshine drug”. The new research specifically identifies Scotland among a number of high-latitude countries — with long, dark winters — that have a higher than average incidence of MS. Around 10,500 people in Scotland have the disease which is the country’s most common disabling neurological condition, typically affecting sufferers from their late 20s and 30s.

The Lancet’s intervention follows a succession of studies which have demonstrated the link between Vitamin D deficiency and a number of health conditions, including rickets, type 1 (or early onset) diabetes, heart disease, infectious diseases and some forms of cancer.

The authors of the report concede that the link between Vitamin D deficiency and MS is not definitively proved, but add that assembling data on MS prevention could take decades. They argue that dietary supplement were likely to provide wider health benefits that would quickly result in a reduction in government health spending.

Welcoming the findings, David McNiven of the MS Society Scotland said his organisation would continue to support the Shine on Scotland campaign, lobbying for Vitamin D Supplements.

“The Lancet article is very encouraging because it endorses the arguments that we have been making: that vitamin D supplementation represents a low-cost, low-risk public health intervention with potentially massive benefits,” said Mr McNiven.

The new research leaves little doubt of the wider benefits of supplementation. The authors write: “If the predicted effects of raising serum vitamin D concentrations … are realised, the potential savings have been estimated to be £160 billion from the direct and indirect burden of the disease, set against an expenditure of £8.5 billion on testing and public education.”

The paper concludes: “Because any benefits for MS in particular will take decades to emerge, a long-term outlook is needed from policymakers, but future health and financial benefits have the potential to make this investment highly rewarding.”

Last year, researchers in North America suggested that high doses of vitamin D could dramatically cut the relapse rate in people with multiple sclerosis. According to scientists in Canada, more than a third of sufferers taking high levels of supplementation did not fall ill during the period of the trial, representing a marked change in the pattern of their disease.

Like Scotland, Canada has a high rate of MS and there is growing evidence that this is connected to a cloudy climate, where weaker ultraviolet B rays during the winter months are insufficient for people to produce enough Vitamin D.

Neurologists at the University of Toronto, studied 25 people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. During the year of treatment 40 per cent of patients on the low dose of vitamin D (1,000 international units daily) experienced a relapse compared to only 16 per cent of those in the high dose (14,000 IU daily) group.

People taking the high dose of vitamin D suffered 41 per cent fewer relapses than the year before the study began, compared with 17 per cent of those taking typical doses. Dr Burton found that those taking high doses of vitamin D did not suffer any significant side effects.

The MS Society Scotland has organised an international summit in September, where the link between vitamin D deficiency and the disease will be discussed. They hope to persuade Scottish ministers to take action on vitamin D as a pressing public health issue.

Ryan to ask for a meeting with Prime Minister

Ryan Mclaughlin of the Shine on Scotland campaign for vitamin D as a preventitive measure against MS will step up his campaigning this week for a meeting with the UK Prime Minister Mr Gordon Brown.

The bravehearted 14 year old tried to get sneaky meeting with him a few weeks back when he visited North Glasgow College to support Willie Bain but unfortunately there just wasn’t enough time but he was promised a meeting at a later date, although a little disappointed he knew that Mr Brown was a very busy man and was happy to get a promise of a meet at a later date.

Mrs Sarah Brown is a great supporter of MS and he hopes that Mr Brown will support him.

Ryan says ” this is so important to my cause if we can get the UK government support we may be able to move forward in the prevention of  MS through vitamin D supplementation,  there are loads of people from all over the UK wanting this now – I get emails almost every day from Mum’s wanting to protect their kids , it is so cheap to supply it so why delay it’s introduction – a clinical study would cost a 100 times more than just doing it now and would take years to show results  and we must protect kids from MS now.

He say’s the  Scottish Government have been amazing and so supportive and he hopes to open the eyes of the UK  Government in a similar fashion to the Scottish Government but said he has no plans to dress as William Wallace again on any visit and it will be kept very low key.

http://www.shineonscotland.org.uk/news/2009/11/ryan-mclaughlin-to-ask-for-a-meeting-with-the-prime-minister/

Ryan McLaughlin with Miss Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon and sponsor Mark Currie from Fraser Suites

After his mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis Ryan formed the Shine on Scotland campaign.  Working with scientists to develop Vitamin D as a preventative measure against MS, cancer and other serious conditions, Ryan continues campaigning to bring this to the attention of Scottish Government.