New research uncovers unusual benefits of vitamin D

Instapundit reports:

The sunshine vitamin is looking brighter. This past week, scientists have found vitamin D can do more than form and maintain strong bones. According to new research, it may prevent diabetes, inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and reduce the risk of children developing multiple sclerosis later in life. In addition, the vitamin has been linked to more muscle power in teen girls. With all these added benefits, looks like it’s time to load up on some D.

According to researchers from Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, getting the recommended dose of vitamin D may reduce the risk of developing diabetes and could prevent complications for those who are already diagnosed with the disease. In the study, the researches look at 3,000 people with type 1 diabetes and found a lower risk in disease of those who took D supplements.

In another study, a researcher from the New Jersey Medical School found D can stimulate a protein in the body, which in turn, can hinder the growth of breast cancer cells. And this is not the first study to link D with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Previous studies have linked vitamin D with a better diagnosis in patients with breast cancer.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia have linked vitamin D with a genetic variant that influences the development of multiple sclerosis (MS), a neurological disease that results in the loss of myelin sheath that protects nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. The findings reveal D deficiency during pregnancy and childhood could increase the risk of developing MS down the road. While the causes of MS remain unknown, researchers believe a lack of vitamin D in early life may prevent the thymus from killing cells which eventually attack the body and eliminate the protective myelin sheath.