S1E9 The world of vitamin D and other supplements with Dr Conor Kerley

Many experts believe that vitamin D is a key regulator of the incidence and severity of MS, and this is one of the reasons why ensuring sufficient intake of this critical natural resource is one of the pillars of the Overcoming MS Program. So, it’s timely that this episode of Living Well with MS picks the topic apart with a guest well-versed in his own right on the topic, Dr. Conor Kerley. 

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Keep reading for the key episode takeaways.  

Topics and timestamps

01:29 General importance of Vitamin D.
02:18 Why is Vitamin D especially important if you have MS? 
02:44 Could MS cause low vitamin D rather than the other way around? 
06:01 How to measure your Vitamin D level?  
08:43 What’s a healthy level of Vitamin D to have? 
11:38 What type of vitamin D should I take? 
12:41 Balancing the benefits of getting Vitamin D from the sun with the risks of too much UV exposure.
22:22 How often do I check my Vitamin D levels? 
23:12 Anything else we should know about Vitamin D?  
26:12 Are there any other supplements someone with MS should consider taking? 
31:52 Is taking a multivitamin tablet better than individual vitamins? 
35:14 What minerals should be considered? 
37:51 Any future or current research into supplements? 

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Dr Conor Kerley's bio

Conor was diagnosed with MS at the age of 15 and fully expected to be forced to curtail his active lifestyle. He was surprised at the lack of focus on diet and lifestyle in his medical consultations, so he undertook his own research, eventually finding Overcoming MS and making the necessary adjustments to his diet and lifestyle that have kept him active, symptom-free and relapse-free to this day.

Inspired by his experiences, he went on to study human nutrition and dietetics, and received his PhD from University College Dublin in 2016.