According to a new study coming out of Canada, Vitamin d supplements have shown the ability to counter the negative effects associated with Crohn’s disease.
A team of researchers from McGill University Health Centre in Montreal suggest that if you suffer from Crohn’s Disease, having a deficiency in vitamin d can actually make it worse [1]. To help with Crohn’s, it is suggested you get more sun or take a supplement to help fight off the deficiency.
Marc J. Servant, professor and collaborator on this project:
“This discovery is exciting, since it shows how an over-the-counter supplement such as Vitamin D could help people defend themselves against Crohn’s disease. We have identified a new treatment avenue for people with Crohn’s disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases.”
What is Crohn’s Disease?
Crohn’s disease is a common disorder that causes redness and swelling in your digestive tract. This can cause severe abdominal pain, rectal bleeding and diarrhea. It can also cause you to have an excessive amount of bowel movements in a given day, sometimes over twenty!
Identifying Crohn’s can sometimes be hard, because it is so similar to both Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Ulcerative Colitis. There is also no specific age group for Crohn’s disease. It is most commonly seen in people between the ages of 20-30, but can still affect young and old.
The Benefits of Vitamin D
This new research is very important because there are many foods containing vitamin d, but the best source of vitamin d is from the sun. Just 15 minutes of sun a day can provide you with as much vitamin d as your body needs.
There are many vitamin D supplements on the market. If you can’t get enough sun and need to supplement, I recommend Suntrex D3™ vitamin D3 supplement.
by Dr. Edward Group DC, NP, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM
Source: New Research: Vitamin D Supplements Could Help Fight Crohn’s Disease
References (1)
- Wang TT, Dabbas B, Laperriere D, Bitton AJ, Soualhine H, Tavera-Mendoza LE, Dionne S, Servant MJ, Bitton A, Seidman EG, Mader S, Behr MA, White JH. Direct and indirect induction by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 of the NOD2/CARD15-defensin beta2 innate immune pathway defective in Crohn disease. J Biol Chem. 2010 Jan 22;285(4):2227-31. doi: 10.1074/jbc.C109.071225. Epub 2009 Nov 30.
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