A new study conducted by the University of Boston has found that vitamin D supplements could act as a preventative treatment for autoimmune conditions in the over-50s.
Tracking participants over five years they discovered that 2000IU, or 50 micrograms, of vitamin D reduced an individual’s risk of developing autoimmune disease by 22 percent compared to the placebo group.
While the scientists behind the study do not yet know why vitamin D reduces the risk of autoimmune disease development the results are nevertheless promising.
Dr Karen Costenbader said of the results: “There are tons of potential mechanisms…It could be that vitamin D helps the immune system to distinguish between self [normal body tissue] and non-self [disease causing microbes], or that it helps to decrease responses to self.”
