Geography and MS

[chalknpens]

I have read often of the link between living in high latitudes and prevalence of MS. A few years ago, I read an article that made some ecological sense to me ... a scientist said that the latitude aligned with the last glacial withdrawal in the northern hemisphere ... and that the scraping of the ice across the soil above that latitude would have lessened essential minerals in the soil.

The result of that last (and so most recent, in thousands of years) scraping was a soil that produced mineral-deficient vegetables and fruits.

It would be interesting to think, then, that maybe we need to be "injecting" our soil north of that latitude, rather than ourselves ...

Has anyone else read anything of those studies?

[KatW]

I haven't read about the soil. I moved to TX from IL 2 years ago and immediately started having symptoms. I'm not sure what the connection is.

[chalknpens]

Out of the frying pan into the fire?

I would guess that the extraordinary heat in Texas this year could have triggered your increase in symptoms. And you may have been eating vegetables from northern states, as Texas crops were burned out by the heat?

[billiejeane]

I would guess that the extraordinary heat in Texas this year could have triggered your increase in symptoms. And you may have been eating vegetables from northern states, as Texas crops were burned out by the heat?

Chalkpens,I looooooooooooove your "Ignorance is bliss...I regret knowing" statement. I soooooooo agree! I dont know y I even pursued finding a dx,I felt better at the time! Now I feel like crap and I believe it is the shots and all the sx management drugs and...........knowing I have ms. Ignorance is so the true definition of bliss. I wish I was like Forest Gump.

[Toomnyhats]

Yes, ignorance is bliss!

I moved to TX from IL 5 yrs ago but my sx started about 11-12 yrs pre-dx. I just ignored or explained away all of my sx ... until I got something new & visible, then I started asking questions ...

The latitude/geography theory I've heard has to do with exposure to sun/Vit D, which makes more sense to me given recent research on the importance of Vit D.

[wkikta]

The Geographic link is believed to be from you getting less Vitamin D from the Sun the farther you are from the Equator. This only holds true for the years before Puberty, after that they have found no link.