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could the vitamin D supplements be harmful in IBD?

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Posted 4/27/2011 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
In light of the latest research it seems like taking vitamin D supplements could
be dangerous - it could make the vitamin D receptor in the cells less
sensitive and as a result down-regulate many genes unrelated to the
vitamin D itself that are responsible for infection and cancer
fighting, especially in the colon which is exposed to high
concentrations after oral administration. Mice with disabled VDR in
the colon developed more severe colitis:

http://mend.endojournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/12/2386

Evolutionary, the excess of vitamin D could be just a signal to the cells that the winter is over so that
the immune system is down-regulated to conserve energy. Bacteria could
have evolved to down-regulate the vitamin D receptor as well in order
to reduce the host defenses and survive. What do you think? Here is
the review paper on the latest research:

http://aviaralife.com/public/uploads/1/2011/2/VItamin%20D%20and%20Mucosal%20Immune%20Function.pdf

Researchers have also warned against the usage of Vitamin D in
infectious and autoimmune
diseases [10•,25]. Increased levels of Vitamin D in the immune system
may contribute to the
dysfunction of nuclear receptors and subsequent negative consequences
for immune and
endocrine function [10•,25].
The data on the MutP53 interaction with VDR also indicate that extra
caution should be taken
in using Vitamin D or its analogs in individualized cancer therapy [41••].
Little is known about the molecular mechanisms responsible for the
dysfunction of VDR in
human diseases. If we do not understand the mechanism of VDR, the
Vitamin D sensor,
Vitamin D may not be used effectively and efficiently as a treatment.
Selective usage of Vitamin D supplement or analogs needs to be
tailored to the individual level
because of the uncertainty of Vitamin D and VDR in the pathogenesis of diseases.
Posted 4/27/2011 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Strange conflicts since they connect a low Vitamin D to many autoimmune diseases, illnesses and maladies.

I don't think they've figured it out by any means.

I've upped my vitamin D to between 4,000 and 5,000 IU. It doesn't se3em to have any negatives as of yet.

I guess we'll find out more eventually, then someone will turn it on its tail and state the opposite.

q
Posted 4/27/2011 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
what they say is that the low vitamin D in inflammatory diseases is not the cause but the consequence of it. And they also suspect that UC in particular could be caused by pathological bacteria biofilms that are really hard to break, they are analogous to the diabetic ulcers that are known to have the biofilms too and are so hard to heal that people are forced to do amputations:

http://bacteriality.com/2008/04/13/wolcott/
Posted 4/27/2011 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
When blood is tested to assess vitamin D status, what is actually measured is the metabolically active 25-hydroxyvitamin D form of the vitamin in the serum.

Check out the research. Not only does D help IBD, Crohn's, and UC, but it is effective for arthritis, fibromyalgia, heart disease, blood pressure, etc. It is estimated that an optimum level of D (over 50 ng/ml) can reduce the incidence of Cancer 35 percent. The data is out there, look it up.

When irrefutable data emerged about vitamin D’s role in preventing disease, experts initially recommended a minimum target blood level of 30 ng/mL of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

In recognition of findings showing reduced incidences of disease in those with higher vitamin D levels, the standard laboratory reference range for 25-hydroxyvitamin D was raised to 40-60 ng/mL.

Humans evolved as nudists living year-round in the African savannah and their vitamin D levels are estimated to have been in the 70-100 range. Lifeguards who work in the sun most of summer test in the 70's.

Most vitamin D comes from sunlight since very few foods have it. The only people who naturally do not live in the sun and are not deficient are Eskimos who get their D from fish oil and whale blubber which are some of the few natural sources.

Yes vitamin D can be dangerous. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be overdosed. Last year there was the case of health guru Gary Null who OD'd on vitamin D from consuming his own brand of supplements. But I believe if most people get their blood levels measured then they would find that they are deficient, i.e. below 20 ng/ml.
Posted 4/27/2011 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
yeesh, a bit heavy for my little grey cells today. I'll have to digest it later.
Thanks for the links..definitely interesting.
q
Posted 4/28/2011 12:20 AM (GMT 0)
5 yrs back my gastro RXed 1 Drisdol for me because my vit D25 level tested at 19. Well, within 3 hrs after swallowing that blasted little green football-shape I got violently sick!!!!!!!!! I am allergic to calcitriol. That's a caveat for anyone advised to take the 50,000 unit supplement ... At first it brought on a severe headache with posterior vitreous detachment in one eye (PVD) which I'll never get rid of. Needless to say, I wish I had never taken that bloomin' pill! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 4/28/2011 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the links, Dr. Stone. Have you read about the Marshall Protocol? If so, what is your opinion about the use of olmesartan?

mpkb.org/
Posted 4/28/2011 8:56 AM (GMT 0)
Marshall has not been proven in any clinical trials and probably is mostly applicable to treatment of sarcaidosis. It don't think it has any use for UC. However, what Dr. Wolcott says about biofilms is true and is proven in his medical practice in sufficiently high numbers, so it could be very interesting to see if lactoferrin and Xylitol which are harmless could help to heal the ulcers in UC and get rid of the bacteria that forms the biofilms in the ulcers:

http://bacteriality.com/2008/04/13/wolcott/

As far as vitamin D supplementation benefits or harm is just a pure speculation now - there is no reliable data that suggests that taking vitamin D is beneficial for anything. For example a very large clinical study was conducted here:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa055222?query=TOC&

and the incidence of colorectal cancer was slightly higher in the vitamin D taking group, though it was not statistically significant.
Vitamin D is a hormone which can potentially temporarily reduce inflammation symptoms. I think that hormones are dangerous when they are not generated by the body itself. The safest method of taking vitamin D is the sun exposure. One thing that always puzzles me is that UC and other inflammatory conditions always seem to get worse during the spring. Why? One thing that changes reliably during this time is the sun and light exposure.

The low level of vitamin D in inflammatory conditions could be the result that the body produces less of it in an effort to fight the infection. So, the real test would be to see if vitamin D supplementation reduces or increases the total mortality rate.
Posted 4/28/2011 12:14 PM (GMT 0)
I'll have to read those links tomorrow. I can say I bought into the vitamin D theory and was injecting it because I was fairly certain my ability to absorb it in a flare was diminished. A severe flare came and went despite the vitamin D taken in the non-oral route. Now I am not a believer however before I did that I was tested very low, borderline so I am comfortable with my decision but it is not the silver bullet it is made out to be. Did it hurt me ? No.

I think it was not a problem because I did not over do the supplementation.

The 2nd link regarding mice is what impressed me. The version I read is that mice unable to produce it died in youth so I think some vitamin D is good but over supplementation will result in down regulation and is harmful.

Post Edited (aguywithuc) : 4/28/2011 6:20:23 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/28/2011 12:24 PM (GMT 0)
Many of the people on this UC and Crohn's forum continue to take vitamin D because they noticed it helped with their arthritis and fibromyalgia. I am not interested in debating anyone, let's agree to disagree. But every day the evidence is building more and more that D is a panacea. This is from February 2011:
health.ucsd.edu/news/2011/02-22-vitamin-D-cancer-risk.htm

“We found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000-8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases - breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes,” said Cedric Garland, DrPH, professor of family and preventive medicine at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. “I was surprised to find that the intakes required to maintain vitamin D status for disease prevention were so high – much higher than the minimal intake of vitamin D of 400 IU/day that was needed to defeat rickets in the 20th century.”
Posted 4/28/2011 4:09 PM (GMT 0)
It looks like vitamin D supplements are indeed useful in IBD:

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Vitamins/vitamin_d3_prevents_relapse_of_crohn_s_disease_0403110319.html

I will resume taking it. Vitamin A may enhance its effect.
Posted 4/28/2011 4:14 PM (GMT 0)
i always feel better when i suplement with VIT D. I usualy take about 2500-3000 UI/day. Also when combining it with raw carrots - so a lot of retinol - makes me feel better.
Don't know about the long term usage though...
I usualy take it for 1 and a half month then take a break for 1 month.
Posted 4/28/2011 10:30 PM (GMT 0)
I've read research saying that vitamin D is a benefit for IBDers, and the reason being is that IBDers tend to have a lack of Vitamin D...I take it along with vitamin A and vitamin C-Calcium Ascorbate and B12 and will continue to take them...I'm in Canada and we don't get sunshine like in California for example, we Canadians tend to be lacking in Vitamin D due to our climate, long winters...it's April 28th and it snowed here today, along with an overcast...I hate cloudy days.
Posted 4/29/2011 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
so should we go out and get lactoferrin and xylitol...?

I know thats not necessarily the take away just wondering though.
Posted 4/30/2011 2:58 AM (GMT 0)
lactoferrin in some studies helps UC in others it seems to make it worse. i've forgot where i've read those things, but at some point in time i've took lactoferrin and got much worse. at that time i've searched for information and found out that is not indicated as a suplement in UC.

oh, i've found some:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1374101/
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/463425

usually anti-bodies to lactoferrin can be a indicator for the disease activity. more elevated they are more UC one gets.
Posted 8/26/2012 4:37 AM (GMT 0)
I'm going to do the following:

Make sure I have enough vitamin D (measured by eating foods with vitamin D daily and taking a small daily dosage of vitamin D suppliments)

I'm also going to follow the diet of the book 'Breaking the Cycle' which is THE best book out there for Ulcerative Colitis and related diseases.

And finally, I'm going to do daily exercise.


posting 'Vitamin D may be bad for UC'... I don't think so.

Eat the correct foods that are easy to digest, take your vitamins, nutrients and minerals, exercise, drink lots of water, meditate... it's that easy
Posted 8/26/2012 11:54 AM (GMT 0)
If you are worried about vitamin D in tablet or pill form affecting the colon receptor cells, then you can try vitamin D spray instead. That way you get the vitamin D sublingually and it goes straight into the blood stream.
Im just about to order mine from mercola. I cannot take tablet/gel caps vitamin D because for some reason they give me stomach cramps, loose stools, urgency...etc basically make me flare. Im hoping the spray will be different since it bypasses the digestion.
Posted 8/26/2012 3:42 PM (GMT 0)
[quote=- there is no reliable data that suggests that taking vitamin D is beneficial for anything.

Except raising vit D levels in those who are deficient?
Posted 8/26/2012 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
LOL, that seems plausible freddy...
q
Posted 8/26/2012 5:47 PM (GMT 0)

Dr Stone said...
One thing that always puzzles me is that UC and other inflammatory conditions always seem to get worse during the spring. Why? One thing that changes reliably during this time is the sun and light exposure.

Actually for me, as well as for my mother and grandmother, it is just the opposite. We tend to flare during the winter when there is less sun exposure.
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