Vit D & Faroe Islands

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lyndacarol
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Vit D & Faroe Islands

Post by lyndacarol »

The topic of the Faroe Islands has come up again:

Vitamin D in the general population of young adults with autism in the Faroe Islands. (2014)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24927807
Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a possible risk factor for developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD). 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3) levels were examined in a cross-sectional population-based study in the Faroe Islands. The case group consisting of a total population cohort of 40 individuals with ASD (aged 15-24 years) had significantly lower 25(OH)D3 than their 62 typically-developing siblings and their 77 parents, and also significantly lower than 40 healthy age and gender matched comparisons. There was a trend for males having lower 25(OH)D3 than females. Effects of age, month/season of birth, IQ, various subcategories of ASD and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule score were also investigated, however, no association was found. The very low 25(OH)D3 in the ASD group suggests some underlying pathogenic mechanism.

In 2004, SarahLonglands posted an excerpt from David Perlmutter (http://www.thisisms.com/forum/antibioti ... html#p4404):
The idea that multiple sclerosis may be caused by some form of infectious agent is supported by several interesting observations. On the Faroe Islands prior to 1920, MS was essentially unknown. Subsequent to the invasion of British troops, the incidence of MS increased dramatically. This would support the contention that MS, at least on the Faroe Islands, was caused by some infectious agent to which the native population had not been previously exposed.
In 2007, I posted (http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... tml#p28441):
"I saw a PBS program (Frontline) last week that featured the Faroe Islands and their tradition of hunting and eating pilot whales. Maybe the British troops stationed there during WWII introduced different foods that contributed to the arrival of MS on the islands (where the earlier diet discouraged it)."
Fatty fish is one of the few food sources of vitamin D; pilot whale blubber is likely also a food source.

to which Lyon (Bob) responded (http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... tml#p28444) with a link to the Frontline video:
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/faroe605/


Lyon commented (http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... tml#p28440) that "African/Americans and American Indians are only recently experiencing MS." [He did not supply a source for this statement.] Lyon included the Sami, Eskimos [Inuit], Australian aborigines…


In 2009, Nick posted (http://www.thisisms.com/forum/general-d ... tml#p66124) excerpts from Ashton Embry's article, Multiple Sclerosis and Food Hypersensitivities (http://www.direct-ms.org/foodhypersensitivities.html)

One of the most interesting and widely quoted epidemiological studies of MS is that of the greatly increased prevalence of MS in the Faroe Islands (North Atlantic, west of Norway) following the occupation by 1500-2000 British troops between 1941 and 1944 (Kurtzke, 1977, 1980, 1995). Kurtzke has classified this increase as an epidemic although other authors have challenged this view (Benedikz et al., 1994, Poser et al. 1988). Regardless, there can be no doubt that MS prevalence substantially increased in the Faroes following the British occupation. Furthermore, the relationship between MS in the Faroe islanders and the presence of British soldiers is strongly supported by the fact the cases of MS all occurred in islanders who lived close to British bases (Kurtzke, 1980, fig. 15). This is an extremely important constraint because it demonstrates that the environmental factor is not solely indigenous and can transported from one area to another. Any interpretation of the cause of MS must satisfactorily explain the sudden increased prevalence in the Faroes and the mobility of the environmental factor.

I suspect that, under the influence of the British troops, the traditional Faroese diet changed, resulting in lower vitamin D food sources. In my opinion, both autism and MS may share the common denominator of vitamin D.
grandsons4
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Re: Vit D & Faroe Islands

Post by grandsons4 »

Seems more likely a contagion (EBV, STD, etc.) given the statement "the cases of MS all occurred in islanders who lived close to British bases."
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lyndacarol
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Re: Vit D & Faroe Islands

Post by lyndacarol »

grandsons4 wrote:Seems more likely a contagion (EBV, STD, etc.) given the statement "the cases of MS all occurred in islanders who lived close to British bases."
If we assume that the underlying cause of MS is due to a bacterium or virus, vitamin D might still reduce/eliminate the symptoms, according to Dr. John Cannell:


Dr. John Cannell on vitamin D (6 min.)


This is the vitamin D expert (MD & Psychiatrist) at the Atascadero State Mental Hospital where he had all of his patients on Vitamin D for its beneficial effects on their emotional state. During that time, an extremely serious influenza (flu) outbreak swept the hospital, causing the quarantining of the wards surrounding his on every side . . . while not one of his patients became sick, despite having had ample pre-quarantine contact with the adjoining wards. Today, everyone in the hospital takes vitamin D.

The body makes hundreds of naturally occurring antibiotics called antimicrobial peptides. Professor Robert White of McGill University discovered that Vitamin D upregulates antimicrobial peptides, which have a broad spectrum of action against both bacteria and viruses.
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lyndacarol
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Re: Vit D & Faroe Islands

Post by lyndacarol »

And if the infectious agent is specifically Epstein-Barr, there is good reason to test the vitamin D level:

The beneficial effects of vitamin D3 on reducing antibody titers against Epstein-Barr virus in multiple sclerosis patients. (2015)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=25666504
The aim of this study was to investigate whether vitamin D3 supplementation in MS patients could influence the immune response against latent EBV infection.…
All the patients were seropositive for EBV prior to vitamin D supplementation.…
Our findings confirm that antibody titers against EBV in MS patients rise after the onset of the disease and indicate that vitamin D3 supplementation could limit augmentation of these titers in MS patients.
grandsons4
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Re: Vit D & Faroe Islands

Post by grandsons4 »

Lyndacarol, I completely agree. What I am suggesting though is that given the latitude and the climate of the Faroe Islands, the people were already sufficiently deficient in D3 so as to present themselves defenseless to whatever "bug" initiated the process that manifests as MS. On a side note, I believe UV therapy might be a more effective choice to obtain D3, given the number of other beneficial substances produced in the skin.
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