Epidemiological studies have shown that relatively high doses of omega-3 fatty acids that are found in oily fish and fish oil supplements have a positive effect on neurodegenerative diseases such as sclerosis, but the underlying mechanisms are not known. A mouse study reveals that one particular omega-3 fatty acid is able to control the immune defense and regulate the inflammatory processes in the central nervous system.

Vitamin B12 is important for the development and function of our central nervous system. In the past decades, science has also found similarities between sclerosis and the neurological symptoms that occur in people who lack vitamin B12. In a new study that is published in Cell Reports, scientists have found the molecular relation between vitamin B12 and the function of supportive brain cells.

There is a link between vitamin D deficiency and sclerosis. However, only few studies show whether vitamin D supplements can stop further progression of the disease. A new placebo-controlled study of rats with advanced sclerosis has looked closer at the connection. The study, which is published in Nutrients, shows that vitamin D supplementation counteracts oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and other processes that are involved in the neurological damage seen with this disease. It is important that vitamin D supplementation aims at optimizing blood levels of the nutrient, which requires higher doses than officially recommended. It also requires enough magnesium to help activate vitamin D and support the nervous system.