Vitamin D May Protect Against Rheumatoid Arthritis
 (NY, Reuters Health, 1/9/04

Dr. Kenneth G. Saag, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and associates, used data that had been gathered from nearly 30,000 women, ages 55 to 69, during the 11-year Iowa Women's Health Study. The women, who had been arthritis-free when the study began in 1986, had submitted diet questionnaires. Analysis of this information showed that women supplementing with vitamin D were significantly less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) than their peers. These findings suggest that vitamin D may have a positive effect on the immune system.