Inflammation is the body’s natural way of healing. When you get a cut, sprain your ankle, or catch a cold, your body uses inflammation to fight off germs and start the repair process.
This type of short-term inflammation is helpful. But sometimes, inflammation doesn’t go away. It becomes long-lasting, or “chronic,” and that’s when it can cause problems.
Chronic inflammation is linked to many serious illnesses, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune disorders, where the body attacks its own healthy tissues.
A new study by scientists at the University of South Australia has found that people with low levels of vitamin D tend to have more inflammation in their bodies. Vitamin D is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because our skin makes it when we are exposed to sunlight. It can also be found in some foods and supplements.
This vitamin is important for keeping bones strong, but now researchers believe it may also help control inflammation.
The study looked at nearly 295,000 people who took part in the UK Biobank project, which collects health data from a large number of people. The researchers used a special method called Mendelian randomization.
This method uses people’s genetic information to help understand how one thing might cause another. In this case, they wanted to find out whether low vitamin D actually leads to more inflammation, or if they just happen to occur together.
They focused on a substance in the blood called C-reactive protein, or CRP. This protein is made by the liver when there is inflammation in the body. People with infections, injuries, or chronic illnesses often have high levels of CRP.
The study found a clear link: when vitamin D levels were low, CRP levels were higher. This suggests that vitamin D may play a role in keeping inflammation levels down.
This discovery is important because it shows that keeping vitamin D levels within a healthy range might help prevent or reduce chronic inflammation.
That, in turn, could help protect people from conditions like heart disease, diabetes, or autoimmune diseases. It might also be helpful for people who are overweight or obese, as excess body fat can lead to long-term inflammation.
The researchers say it’s important to prevent vitamin D deficiency before it becomes a problem. This could be done through safe sun exposure, eating foods rich in vitamin D, or taking supplements if needed. However, they also caution that too much vitamin D can be harmful, so people should talk to a doctor before taking supplements.
This study gives scientists and doctors a better understanding of how vitamin D affects the body. In the past, studies about the health effects of vitamin D have shown mixed results. But this new research gives clearer evidence that vitamin D can help control inflammation.
The study was led by Dr. Ang Zhou and published in the International Journal of Epidemiology. It brings new hope that improving vitamin D levels could be a simple and cost-effective way to boost health and lower the risk of many common diseases.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies that vitamin D can help reduce inflammation, and vitamin K may lower your heart disease risk by a third.
For more health information, please see recent studies about foods that could sharp your brain, and results showing cooking food in this way may raise your risk of blindness.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
