Recent research from the University of South Australia has discovered a direct link between low levels of vitamin D and high levels of inflammation, suggesting a vital biomarker to identify individuals at a higher risk of chronic illnesses with an inflammatory component.
Inflammation is an essential part of the body’s healing process.
However, persistent inflammation can contribute to complex diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
The research team examined the genetic data of nearly 295,000 participants from the UK Biobank.
They discovered a correlation between vitamin D levels and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, an indicator of inflammation in the body.
High levels of CRP are generated by the liver in response to inflammation. When the body experiences chronic inflammation, it also exhibits higher levels of this protein.
Interestingly, the team found a one-way relationship between low levels of vitamin D and high levels of CRP.
Implications of the Findings
The findings suggest that increasing vitamin D in individuals with deficiencies could reduce chronic inflammation, potentially aiding in the avoidance of related diseases.
The study also proposes that having adequate vitamin D levels may lower complications arising from obesity and reduce the risk or severity of chronic illnesses with an inflammatory component, such as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases.
These results could explain some controversies reported in previous studies examining the association with vitamin D, highlighting the importance of avoiding clinical vitamin D deficiency.
The team emphasizes that their findings offer further evidence for the wide-ranging effects of hormonal vitamin D, stressing the critical role this vitamin plays in our overall health.
The research, led by Dr. Ang Zhou, was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
If you care about inflammation, please read studies about the cause of inflammation and clotting in severe COVID-19, and how avocados can help reduce inflammation.
For more information about inflammation, please see recent studies about hormone that could help reduce irregular heartbeat, inflammation, and results showing this drug for inflammation could help stop cancer metastasis.
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