Vitamin D May Reduce Chronic Inflammation

From Medical News Today

While vitamin D is classically known for regulating calcium levels, recent studies have shown that it may play a role in modulating the body’s inflammatory response too.

For example, research has linked vitamin D concentrations in the blood with C-reactive protein levels (CRP), a widely used inflammatory biomarker.

However, it remains unknown whether low vitamin D levels increase CRP levels, as demonstrated in randomized trials.

Recently, researchers examined the evidence for whether vitamin D levels influence CRP levels in a new study.

The researchers reported a direct link between low vitamin D levels and higher CRP levels. They say that their findings could provide an important biomarker for identifying people at risk of inflammatory illnesses.

“There is mounting evidence that improvement in vitamin D status reduces risk for autoimmune diseases including type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Michael F. Holick, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

“This is also consistent with the recent observations that those adults who took 2000 IUs vitamin D3 daily for up to 5 years reduced risk of all autoimmune disorders by 22% compared to the placebo group,” he added.

The study was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.