This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Knowledge & Support Community

DIRECT-MS has recently added a new booklet to our home page entitled The Alberta Disadvantage. This brochure demonstrates that the province of Alberta, Canada, the home of DIRECT-MS, has by far the highest rates of MS in the world: Prevalence 340/1000,000 ; Incidence 20/100,000.

Data and arguments are provided to support the argument that the main reason for the “MS Epidemic” is that all the main causal factors are present in Alberta, with low vitamin D supply being especially problematic.

For those of you not familiar with Alberta, an oft used expression of our government to promote the province is the "Alberta Advantage". This phrase is used to accentuate the affluence of our province and other virtues such as a low tax rate and a friendly economic climate. We purposely choose the title of the booklet as a play on the promotional slogan to maximise the literature's exposure and to hopefully capitalise on wealth of our province so as to more thoroughly address our dirty little secret.

DIRECT-MS also offers two previously published information booklets, Protect your family from MS and Take Control of Multiple Sclerosis. These booklets are in pdf format and a hardcopy can also be mailed to you, at no cost, upon request. To request a pamphlet, visit DIRECT-MS and send us an email requesting so.

Cheers
Nick

Nick, This is great info! I grew up in northern MN--pretty close to Ontario.
Had relatives from Ireland living there beginning in the 1880's.

Still, out of a very large extended family, I am the lone ms'er.
Go figure.

Kitkat,

Ireland has one of the highest MS rates in the world. The Vikings invaded so probably explains the genetic risk factors. Also, every holiday I have spent there has been a wash out - so little Vit D from sunlight. In terms of environmental risks, it is not a heavily industrialised country. However, agriculture is big so pesticides etc may be a factor.

Bromley

My daughter was in Calgary for 2 years and always said it was either the hottest place in the world or the coldest. Everytime I'm there the weather has been perfect. I adore the hot springs. Vitamin D if missing might be more from a lower than average Omega 3 intake due to low fish intake. Now for you guys from Alberta are the cows grain fed or loose on the range.Just asking as in Quebec I come from cattle country and most cows there run loose in the fields and eat hay grain and molasses in the winter. Grass has some omega 3 so if they are field fed I'm not sure we can connect it all to low vitamin D levels unless they are prone to using sun screens which I have always refused to use as it doesn't make sense for me to hide from nature. Now smog has become nature in Toronto and that worries me for the years ahead.

Melody wrote:Vitamin D if missing might be more from a lower than average Omega 3 intake due to low fish intake.

Hi Melody

The state of vitamin D deficiency in Alberta is in part attributable to the lack of fish consumption but the sun provides by far most people's vitamin D. Despite Alberta being promted as "sunny Alberta" the sun for most of the year in Alberta (and Canda for that matter) is too low in the sky to provide much vitamin D if any. In addition, during an Albertan summertime when the sun can provide ample vitamin D, many people do not take advantage on account of thyeir lifestyle.

This study documents the lack of vitamin D producing sunshine in Alberta.

This study from Calgary demonstates that 95-100 % of Calgarians are deficient in immunoregulatory amounts (> 100nmol/L) of serum vitamin D for most, if not all of the year.

Melody wrote:Now for you guys from Alberta are the cows grain fed or loose on the range.Just asking as in Quebec I come from cattle country and most cows there run loose in the fields and eat hay grain and molasses in the winter.

All beef in typical grocery stores in Alberta are grass fed for most of their lives until they are sold to a fed lot for fattening prior to slaughter. There are fortunately a few small ranchers who sell pastured only cows but a premium is charged for this beef on account of less weight per cow.

Cordainhas provided excellent research into how the fat profile of grass fed only beef is with less saturated fats and more omega 3 and 6 EFA's than a grain fed fattened cow. Of course wild game meat is much better than either type of beef but it is hard to come by for most folks and not as palatable.

Cheers
Nick