Rheumatoid arthritis linked to vitamin D deficiency, researchers find

(NaturalNews) A new study led by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) environmental health expert came up with an unexpected conclusion. The researchers were investigating why women living in the northeastern United States are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and they suspected they would find an association with air pollution. Instead, their research has raised the strong possibility that RA results from vitamin D deficiency due to not getting enough exposure to one of nature's most powerful healers -- sunlight.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes pain, swelling, stiffness and loss of function in the joints. Unlike osteoarthritis, the common arthritis that develops from wear and tear on joints and usually develops only as people age, RA can affect the young and old. The disease can cause enormous suffering -- it may attack the eyes, mouth and lungs as well as joints. According to the National Institutes of Health, there's no known cause for RA and treatments include steroids and other drugs that can have serious side effects.

The new research, which was just published online in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, found that women in states like Vermont, New Hampshire and southern Maine were more likely to report being diagnosed with RA.

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