A simple vitamin may prevent you from developing multiple sclerosis or MS.

Hundreds of thousands of people have MS.

The chronic, degenerative, disease attacks the central nervous system.

Most of the time, it occurs in young adults, especially women.

There is no cure for MS, but now, researchers think you can reduce your risk by increasing how much vitamin D you get.

They came to the conclusion after measuring vitamin D levels in more than seven million people.

“In the top 20 percent of the vitamin D levels, the risk of developing MS is 62 percent lower than at the lower levels, so this suggests vitamin D could possibly contribute to MS prevention,” explains Dr. Alberto Ascherio with the Harvard School of Public Health.

So how do you get more vitamin D?

The hormone is naturally made in your body, but you can increase it with supplements.

You can also get more vitamin D by eating fatty fish and dairy products and from sunlight.

Now, as for how much vitamin D you need to reduce your risk for MS, doctors say it is too early to tell, and more studies need to be done.