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Vitamin D Lowers Inflammation

Contributed by John Jacob Cannell, MD, executive director of The
Vitamin D Council

Researchers in Belgium appear to be the first to show that simple,
natural and cheap vitamin D (cholecalciferol) lowers C-Reactive
Protein
(CRP), a measure of inflammation in the body, in critically ill
patients.

Even small amounts of vitamin D, about 500 IU, lowered inflammation by
more than 25 percent in a small group of critically ill patients.
Another marker of inflammation (IL-6) was reduced even more. The
researchers also found that critically ill patients were profoundly
deficient in vitamin D.

In another study, researchers found that vitamin D deficiency is
associated with increased inflammation in otherwise healthy people.
Increased inflammation in the body can increase the risk of chronic
inflammatory conditions, including coronary heart disease (CHD) and
diabetes. Further, the researchers found that inflammation was lowered
by simple vitamin D.

As vitamin D deficiency is associated with numerous illnesses with
inflammatory components, such as hypertension, heart disease,
diabetes, autoimmune illness and heart disease, the findings were
important. The authors concluded, “This finding provides a
possible mechanism for tissue damage in chronic inflammatory
conditions, including CHD and diabetes.”

Inflammation in the body may be as important as cholesterol in
determining the risk of heart disease. Unlike cholesterol alone,
cholesterol and inflammation together predict a substantial number of
cases of heart disease.

Various studies show that vitamin D deficiency is widespread among the
critically ill and suggest that that vitamin D deficiency may
contribute to the inflammatory basis of various illnesses.

For example, earlier this year researchers studied patients with
congestive heart failure and found elevated levels of TNF, another
marker of inflammation. They also found critically low levels of
calcidiol [25(OH)D], the only reliable marker of vitamin D, and even
found low levels of calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D that is
usually low only in those who are severely vitamin D deficient.

They concluded vitamin D deficiency might contribute to the
development of congestive heart failure (CHF).

It is important to note that vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory
actions in humans have long been suspected. For example, several
studies using compounds similar to vitamin D have been shown to
significantly reduce inflammation and improve the patients’
condition when given to patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis.


Dr. Mercola's Comment:

CRP is elevated when there is inflammation going on somewhere in the
body, and chronic inflammation is a risk factor for a number of
conditions including coronary heart disease (CHD) and diabetes.
Numerous studies have shown that vitamin D lowers inflammation.

Folks, we are in the midst of a radical revision of vitamin D
understanding. The leading vitamin D scientists in the world have
changed their position within the last few years and have started the
warning sirens that most of traditional medicine was dead wrong when
it comes to sun avoidance.

Following the ridiculous recommendations of avoiding the sun has
caused a minimum of 20,000 extra cancers per year, and it is far more
likely the number actually exceeds 50,000. And that is just cancer
deaths. It does not include heart disease or autoimmune diseases like
MS or rheumatoid arthritis.

The old RDA of 400 units was only put together to prevent rickets. It
was established long before the appreciation of sun exposure and
optimized vitamin D levels. The requirements for vitamin D are far
closer to 10 times the current RDA, or 4,000 units. If you only took
the RDA of 400 units of vitamin D and avoided the sun you can be
virtually guaranteed you would be vitamin D deficient, just like over
85 percent of the country currently is.

This is why it is crucial that you have your vitamin D levels tested
now. By far, the vast majority of people reading this right now have
far too little vitamin D in their blood. Over 85 percent of people
have levels below 32, which is considered deficient, but it is
possible to overdose on vitamin D.

In my practice we don't like to see patient levels go much above 50,
but 55 is probably a perfect level and anything above 60 is likely to
be toxic. One study found cancer started to occur at 80. So, be smart
and get your vitamin D level tested.

We routinely put people on 10,000 units a day or more of vitamin D
safely as long as we monitor them. It is important to understand that
most of us get 10,000 units on a sunny summer day if we have
significant exposure.

http://mercola.com/2004/feb/28/vitamin_d.htm