Our founder, Dr. Conor Kerley was featured on season one, episode 9 of the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) podcast. This podcast episode was titled:
The World of Vitamin D (and Other Supplements)
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 (OMS) 7-Step Recovery 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.
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 OMS 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. You can read Conor’s full bio here.
Questions about vitamin D include:
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Why is Vitamin D important in general?
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Why is Vitamin D especially important if you have MS?
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Could MS cause low vitamin D rather than the other way around?
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How do you measure your own Vitamin D level? What’s a healthy level of Vitamin D to have?
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What type of vitamin D should I take?
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How about getting Vitamin D naturally, from the sun? How do I do that?
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How do you balance the benefits of getting Vitamin D from the sun with the risks of too much UV exposure?
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My doctor said to take 1000 IU per week because my level is at 100 nmol. Should I follow that advice?
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Is vitamin D safe to take? Can you overdo it?
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Anything else we should know about Vitamin D? Any interesting facts, side benefits or risks?
Questions about other supplements include:
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Are there any other supplements someone with MS should consider taking?
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Rather than taking Vitamin D, flaxseed oil and Vitamin B12 separately, should I just take a multivitamin tablet?
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What are the pros and cons of other supplements? Let’s go through a short list and tell me what you think:
- CBD oil
- High dose biotin
- Vitamin K2
- Magnesium
-And last but not least, everyone’s favorite and perhaps controversial topic: cannabis. What are your thoughts on its benefits and drawbacks for people with MS?
Other feature guests have included:
Professor George Jelinek, Overcoming MS Founder, person living with MS, and founder of the Neuroepidemiology Unit, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at The University of Melbourne.
Professor Gavin Giovannoni, Chair of Neurology, Blizard Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London and the Department of Neurology, Barts and The London NHS Trust.
Dr Aaron Boster, expert neurologist and founder of the Boster Center For Multiple Sclerosis.
Dr Brandon Beaber, expert neurologist in California and affiliated with Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.
Professor Michael Kornberg, Professor of Neurology and Associate Director, Neurology Residency Program at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Dr. Valter Longo, Professor of Gerontology and Biological Sciences and Director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.
Dr. Jonathon White, MBChB, MRCOG, a practicing medical doctor (specialist obstetrician & gynaecologist), who also works with Overcoming MS as a medical consultant and event facilitator and is a person living with MS.
Professor Craig Hassed, an expert on mindfulness-based stress reduction, works at the Department of General Practice and is coordinator of mindfulness programs at Monash University. Dr. Hassed was also the founding president of the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association and person living with MS.
Ashley Madden, pharmacist turned plant-based chef and person living with MS.
Dr Gretchen Hawley, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Multiple Sclerosis Certified Specialist and person living with MS.
Dr Sandra Neate, is a Senior Clinical Research Fellow and the Head of the Neuroepidemiology Unit at Melbourne School of Population and Global Health at The University of Melbourne.
Veronique Gauthier-Simmons, qualified yoga instructor and yoga therapist and person living with MS.
Dr Amy Novotny, is world-renowned author, speaker, breathing coach, nature photographer, ultra endurance athlete and pain management specialist.
