Rob Lutz

Researchers have accumulated consistent evidence over decades that people with lower blood vitamin D (25‑hydroxyvitamin D, 25[OH]D) face a higher risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS) and that lower levels correlate with more MRI activity and relapses in established disease. This is not only correlation: newer genetic (Mendelian randomization) analyses support a causal link—people genetically predisposed to lower vitamin D have higher MS risk.

A new study has delivered some of the most compelling evidence yet that vitamin D supplements might make a meaningful difference for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published in BMC Pediatrics, this carefully designed study tackles a common question in autism care: Can vitamin D supplementation improve both brain inflammation and real-world behaviors in children with ASD? The answer, according to the researchers, is a cautious but encouraging “yes” — with some important caveats.

B vitamins are small, water-soluble molecules but enormous in clinical importance — addressing everything from fatigue and neuropathy to cognitive complaints and malabsorption. A clear, practical review published in The Permanente Journal pulls together the biochemistry, deficiency syndromes, at-risk groups, testing caveats, and evidence-informed clinical uses for the eight-member B-complex.