Mayo Clinic Study Finds 12 Weeks of Vitamin D May Rebalance IBD Immune Responses
Updated
Updated · SciTechDaily · May 18
Mayo Clinic Study Finds 12 Weeks of Vitamin D May Rebalance IBD Immune Responses
5 articles · Updated · SciTechDaily · May 18
Forty-eight IBD patients with low vitamin D levels showed immune changes after 12 weeks of weekly supplements, suggesting a shift toward healthier responses to gut bacteria.
Blood and stool analyses found higher IgA, lower IgG, altered immune signaling pathways and greater activity in regulatory immune cells that help restrain inflammation.
Disease activity scores and a stool inflammation marker also improved, but the Cell Reports Medicine study was small and not designed to prove cause and effect.
IBD—including Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—affects millions worldwide, and the findings point to a possible way to restore immune tolerance rather than only suppress inflammation.
Researchers said larger randomized controlled trials are needed and advised patients not to change vitamin D use without medical guidance.
Can a common vitamin reprogram the immune system to halt its attack on the gut in IBD?
Beyond vitamin D, what other immune 'switches' could treat chronic gut inflammation?