Vitamin D and Crohn's Disease: Supplement May Help Maintain Remission

Could vitamin D help in the treatment of Crohn's disease (CD), a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that results in inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract?

New findings published in the United European Gastroenterology journal reveal data in favor of vitamin D supplementation that could prolong the diseases' remission.

For the study, researchers committed to a double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study that assigned 27 CD patients in remission to 2000 IU/day vitamin D supplementation or a placebo for up to 3 months.

Findings revealed that patients treated with the supplement were more likely to stay in remission longer, maintaining intestinal permeability. Furthermore, patients with higher blood levels of vitamin D also showed less reoccurring signs of the illness for longer periods, lowering inflammation levels--a marker of the autoimmune disease.

"This is the first reporting of effects of vitamin D supplementation on intestinal permeability and antimicrobial peptide measures in a CD cohort," the study authors noted, in a news release. "Whilst the data requires further confirmation, it broadly supports evidence from previous experimental studies that suggest a role for vitamin D in maintaining intestinal barrier integrity."

Crohn's disease affects as many as 700,000 in the United States, with both men and women equally affected. However, initial symptoms of the illness first seem to manifest in adolescents and young adults between the ages of 15 and 35.

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