Vitamin D is best known for keeping bones strong and supporting the immune system. But new research suggests it could also help people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a condition that causes long-term inflammation in the digestive tract. This includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, which can lead to pain, diarrhea, and serious health problems.
A recent study from the University Hospital St. Ivan Rilski and the Medical University in Sofia, Bulgaria, looked at how vitamin D levels might be linked to inflammation in people with IBD. The study was led by Dr. Antonia Topalova-Dimitrova and published in the journal Medicine.
The researchers compared blood samples from 92 people with IBD and 14 healthy individuals. They looked at two things: how much vitamin D each person had in their blood, and how much inflammation was present.
The results showed that people with IBD had much lower levels of vitamin D. On average, they had only 16 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL), while healthy people had 26 ng/mL.
In fact, nearly all of the people with IBD—over 98%—had low or deficient vitamin D levels. About one-third of them had a clear deficiency, and two-thirds had levels that were too low to be considered healthy. By comparison, about one-third of the healthy people had normal vitamin D levels.
The study also found that lower vitamin D levels were linked to higher levels of inflammation. People with less vitamin D had more white blood cells and higher levels of a protein called CRP-C, which increases when there’s inflammation in the body.
These results suggest that vitamin D may help keep inflammation under control, or that low levels of it may allow inflammation to get worse.
It’s important to understand that this study was observational. That means it showed a connection, but it didn’t prove that low vitamin D causes inflammation or makes IBD worse.
Still, the link was strong enough to raise important questions. Could improving vitamin D levels help people with IBD feel better? Could it reduce the number of flare-ups or even prevent serious complications?
People with IBD are already more likely to have low vitamin D. This may be because their bodies have trouble absorbing nutrients, or because they avoid the sun due to fatigue, medication side effects, or other health concerns. Not having enough vitamin D can lead to more IBD symptoms, slower responses to treatment, and even a higher risk of needing surgery.
So what can be done? Doctors might start by checking vitamin D levels in people with IBD. If levels are low, they may suggest:
– Eating foods that are rich in vitamin D, such as salmon, tuna, eggs, and fortified dairy products
– Spending short periods in the sun to help the body make vitamin D naturally
– Taking vitamin D supplements, especially if there’s a clear deficiency
It’s important to talk to a doctor before starting any supplements, as taking too much vitamin D can also be harmful.
This study adds to a growing body of research showing that vitamin D does more than support bone health. It may play an important role in how the immune system works and how inflammation is managed. For people with IBD, keeping vitamin D levels in a healthy range might be a simple and effective way to support their treatment.
More research is needed to understand how vitamin D affects IBD and whether it can actually help reduce flare-ups or improve long-term outcomes. But for now, it’s clear that checking your vitamin D levels could be a small step with real benefits. If you have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, it’s worth talking to your doctor about it.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about the crucial link between diet, gut health, and the immune system and results showing that Low-gluten, high-fiber diets boost gut health and weight loss.
For more information about gut health, please see recent studies about Navigating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with diet and results showing that Mycoprotein in diet may reduce risk of bowel cancer and improve gut health.
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