Vitamin D

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Vitamin D is a fat-soluble steroid hormone responsible for the intestinal absorption of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate and zinc. In humans, dietary Vitamin D is negligible; most comes from exposure of skin to sunlight or from supplementation. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, regulates calcium levels and is vital to good bone health.

Vitamin D2[edit | edit source]

Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is a vitamin D found in plants, mushrooms, and yeasts, and sometimes in foods fortified with vitamin D.[1]

Vitamin D3[edit | edit source]

Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized in the human skin from the UVB radiation in sunlight. D3 can also be obtained from supplements.[1]

Immune function[edit | edit source]

Vitamin D improves regulatory T cell function in healthy adults[2] and in patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis,[3] suggesting that it may play a role in both preventing and ameliorating autoimmune disease.

Infectious disease[edit | edit source]

Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of viral infections.[citation needed]

Epstein-Barr virus[edit | edit source]

An Epstein-Barr virus protein EBNA-3 has an affinity for the Vitamin D receptor and may actually block the activation of VDR-dependent genes by Vitamin D.[4]

Supplementation[edit | edit source]

Optimal levels[edit | edit source]

The recommended blood level of Vitamin D varies considerably by government body and health society.

The US Institute of Medicine suggests levels between 20 ng/ml and 50ng/ml.[5]

The Vitamin D Council suggests a level of 50 ng/ml or 125 nmol/l as "ideal."[6][7]

In the United States, 41.6% have serum levels below 20 ng/ml, the threshold for deficiency or 82.1% of African-Americans and 69.2% of Hispanics.[8]

Toxicity[edit | edit source]

Vitamin D toxicity as a result of supplementation is rare and requires extremely high doses.[5]

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome[edit | edit source]

A retrospective study found patients with CFS have lower levels of Vitamin D than the general population. However, it was uncertain whether this is correlated with the amount of time CFS patients spend indoors or with some other factor.[9]

Raising Vitamin D levels has reportedly resulted in remission for some CFS patients.[10]

Recent research has found no toxicity at 10,000 IU per day and levels as high as 15,000 IU/day are probably tolerated.[11] At this dosage it will take 75-90 before symptom improvement is expected to be seen. Some people have seen some symptoms improved within days, but those are likely a small minority.[citation needed]

In 2015, Witham, et al, found that high-dose oral vitamin D3 did not improve markers of vascular health or fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The study consisted of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome according to the Fukuda (1994) and Canadian (2003) criteria who were either given 100,000 units oral vitamin D3 or a matching placebo every 2 months for 6 months.[12]

In 2017, a study by Earl, et al, concluded that low serum concentrations of total 25(OH)D do not appear to be a contributing factor to the level of fatigue of CFS/ME.[13]

Fibromyalgia[edit | edit source]

A cohort of Saudi women with fibromyalgia was found to be Vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D status was inversely correlated with pain. High dose Vitamin D supplementation resulted in improvement or resolution of symptoms.[14] A second study also found improvement of symptoms with Vitamin D supplementation.[15]

Autoimmune disease[edit | edit source]

Low Vitamin D is a possible risk factor for asthma,[citation needed] SLE,[16] multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease[17] and autoimmune thyroid disease.[18] Active Crohn's disease was associated with lower Vitamin D levels.[19]

Multiple sclerosis[edit | edit source]

Among people with early stage MS, those with higher Vitamin D levels had better outcomes five years after follow up.[20]

It is theorized that there may be a link between low Vitamin D, Epstein-Barr virus and MS.[21]

"2011 UK and Canadian scientists, comparing DNA changes found against existing databases, identified the mutated gene, CYP27B1, in 35 parents of children with MS and, in every case, the child inherited this gene. Researchers say this adds weight to suggestions of a link between vitamin D deficiency and MS. When people inherit two copies of this gene they develop a genetic form of rickets - a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency which is the major cause of infantile rickets. Just one copy of the mutated CYP27B1 gene affects a key enzyme which leads people with this gene to have lower levels of vitamin D.There are high levels of both vitamin D deficiency and MS among Scotland's 10,500 MS sufferers, the highest incidence of MS anywhere in the world." This is copied and pasted - find original paper and edit --JenB (talk) 23:54, 28 March 2016 (PDT)

Notable studies relating to ME/CFS[edit | edit source]

  • 2014, Association between vitamin D status and markers of vascular health in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)[22]
  • 2015, Effect of intermittent vitamin D3 on vascular function and symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome – A randomised controlled trial[23]
  • 2017, Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England [24] (Full Text)
  • 2018, Exogenous VD3 alleviates chronic fatigue syndrome by activating MEKs/ERKs-SIRT1 signaling pathway in skeletal muscle[25] (Abstract)

Learn more[edit | edit source]

See also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Vitamin D". Linus Pauling Institute. April 22, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2018.
  2. Bock, Gerlies; Prietl, Barbara; Mader, Julia K.; Höller, Evelyne; Wolf, Michael; Pilz, Stefan; Graninger, Winfried B.; Obermayer-Pietsch, Barbara M.; Pieber, Thomas R. (November 2011), "The effect of vitamin D supplementation on peripheral regulatory T cells and β cell function in healthy humans: a randomized controlled trial", Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, 27 (8): 942–945, doi:10.1002/dmrr.1276, ISSN 1520-7560, PMID 22069289
  3. Smolders, Joost; Thewissen, Mariëlle; Peelen, Evelyn; Menheere, Paul; Tervaert, Jan Willem Cohen; Damoiseaux, Jan; Hupperts, Raymond (August 13, 2009), "Vitamin D Status Is Positively Correlated with Regulatory T Cell Function in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis", PLOS ONE, 4 (8): –6635, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006635, ISSN 1932-6203, retrieved November 10, 2016
  4. Yenamandra, Surya Pavan; Hellman, Ulf; Kempkes, Bettina; Darekar, Suhas Deoram; Petermann, Sabine; Sculley, Tom; Klein, George; Kashuba, Elena (December 2010), "Epstein-Barr virus encoded EBNA-3 binds to vitamin D receptor and blocks activation of its target genes", Cellular and molecular life sciences: CMLS, 67 (24): 4249–4256, doi:10.1007/s00018-010-0441-4, ISSN 1420-9071, PMID 20593215
  5. 5.0 5.1 Theimer, Sharon (March 15, 2015), "Vitamin D Toxicity Rare in People Who Take Supplements, Mayo Clinic Study Finds", Mayo Clinic News Network, retrieved November 10, 2016
  6. Vitamin D Council - Testing for vitamin D
  7. Vitamin D Council - Why should you keep your vitamin D level around 50 ng/ml?
  8. Forrest, Kimberly Y. Z.; Stuhldreher, Wendy L. (January 2011), "Prevalence and correlates of vitamin D deficiency in US adults", Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.), 31 (1): 48–54, doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2010.12.001, ISSN 1879-0739, PMID 21310306
  9. Berkovitz, Saul; Ambler, Gareth; Jenkins, Michael; Thurgood, Sue (July 1, 2009), "Serum 25-hydroxy Vitamin D Levels in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: a Retrospective Survey", International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 79 (4): 250–254, doi:10.1024/0300-9831.79.4.250, ISSN 0300-9831, retrieved November 10, 2016
  10. IACFS/ME - Vitamin D deficiency results in chronic fatigue and multi-system symptoms, Anna Dorothea Hoeck. (pdf)
  11. CFS Remission - Vitamin D Toxicity Myth
  12. Witham, M.D. et al. Effect of intermittent vitamin D3 on vascular function and symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome – A randomised controlled trial. (2015) Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, Volume 25 , Issue 3 , 287 - 294. Doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2014.10.007
  13. Earl KE, Sakellariou GK, Sinclair M, et al. Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England. BMJ Open. 2017;7(11):e015296. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296.
  14. Abokrysha, Noha T. (March 2012), "Vitamin D deficiency in women with fibromyalgia in Saudi Arabia", Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.), 13 (3): 452–458, doi:10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01304.x, ISSN 1526-4637, PMID 22221390
  15. Matthana, Mona H. (September 2011), "The relation between vitamin D deficiency and fibromyalgia syndrome in women", Saudi Medical Journal, 32 (9): 925–929, ISSN 0379-5284, PMID 21894355
  16. Kamen, Diane L.; Cooper, Glinda S.; Bouali, Henda; Shaftman, Stephanie R.; Hollis, Bruce W.; Gilkeson, Gary S. (February 2006), "Vitamin D deficiency in systemic lupus erythematosus", Autoimmunity Reviews, Special Issue on CIS Spring School of Autoimmune Diseases, 5 (2): 114–117, doi:10.1016/j.autrev.2005.05.009, ISSN 1568-9972, retrieved November 10, 2016
  17. Cantorna, Margherita T.; Mahon, Brett D. (December 1, 2004), "Mounting Evidence for Vitamin D as an Environmental Factor Affecting Autoimmune Disease Prevalence", Experimental Biology and Medicine, 229 (11): 1136–1142, ISSN 1535-3702, PMID 15564440, retrieved November 10, 2016
  18. Bizzaro, Giorgia; Shoenfeld, Yehuda (February 2015), "Vitamin D and autoimmune thyroid diseases: facts and unresolved questions", Immunologic Research, 61 (1–2): 46–52, doi:10.1007/s12026-014-8579-z, ISSN 1559-0755, PMID 25407646
  19. Jørgensen, Søren Peter; Hvas, Christian Lodberg; Agnholt, Jørgen; Christensen, Lisbet Ambrosius; Heickendorff, Lene; Dahlerup, Jens Frederik (November 2013), "Active Crohn's disease is associated with low vitamin D levels", Journal of Crohn's & Colitis, 7 (10): 407–413, doi:10.1016/j.crohns.2013.01.012, ISSN 1876-4479, PMID 23403039
  20. Torgan, Carol (February 3, 2014), "Vitamin D Levels Predict Multiple Sclerosis Progression", NIH Research Matters, retrieved November 10, 2016
  21. Holmøy, Trygve (2008), "Vitamin D status modulates the immune response to Epstein Barr virus: Synergistic effect of risk factors in multiple sclerosis", Medical Hypotheses, 70 (1): 66–69, doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2007.04.030, ISSN 0306-9877, retrieved November 10, 2016
  22. Witham, Miles; Kennedy, Gwen; Belch, Jill; Hill, Alexander; Khan, Faisel (2014), "Association between vitamin D status and markers of vascular health in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)", International Journal of Cardiology, 174 (1): 139 - 140, doi:10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.03.145
  23. Witham, MD; Adams, F; McSwiggan, S; Kennedy, G; Kabir, G; Belch, JJ; Khan, F (2015), "Effect of intermittent vitamin D3 on vascular function and symptoms in chronic fatigue syndrome – A randomised controlled trial", Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 25 (3): 287-294, doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2014.10.007
  24. Earl KE, Sakellariou GK, Sinclair M, et al. Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England. BMJ Open. 2017;7(11):e015296. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015296.
  25. Wu, Fangnan; Huder, Chaolu; Tian, Zhenjun (October 4, 2018). "PO-132 Exogenous VD3 alleviates chronic fatigue syndrome by activating MEKs/ERKs-SIRT1 signaling pathway in skeletal muscle". Exercise Biochemistry Review. 1 (4). doi:10.14428/ebr.v1i4.10353. ISSN 2593-7588.