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  • Covid 19
    • Vitamin D could be a piece of COVID-19's 'complex puzzle,' Israeli scientists say, after a new study finds a link between deficiency and severe illness
    • Vitamin D deficiency tied to increased COVID-19 risk, unique UF data study finds
    • Dr. Zorba Paster: Vitamin D deficiency connected to COVID-19 cases
    • Study suggests high vitamin D levels may protect against COVID-19, especially for Black people
    • 1 in 4 COVID patients hospitalized while vitamin D deficient die – Israeli study
    • Vitamin D and COVID-19 Research
    • Minister urged to recommend vitamin D supplements in Covid-19 strategy
    • Other countries are treating COVID patients with probiotics and vitamin D — why aren’t we?
    • MP David Davis calls for Vitamin D therapy to be rolled out 'immediately' after study finds it can 'reduce Covid deaths by up to 60%'
    • Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19 Have Low Levels of 25-Hydroxyvitamin D
    • Vitamin D, other everyday vitamins could counter coronavirus effects:.
    • Experts send Vitamin D and Covid-19 open letter to world's governments
    • A Functional Medicine Approach To Protect Against the Flu
    • Over 80% of Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Have Vitamin D Deficiency, Study Finds
    • Vitamin D helps the body fight coronavirus, major Israeli study claims
    • Vitamin D deficiency increased risk of COVID in healthcare workers, new study shows
    • People With Low Vitamin D More Likely to Have COVID, Study Finds
    • Vitamin D for COVID-19: a case to answer?
    • Vitamin D helps the body fight coronavirus, major Israeli study claims
    • Researchers investigating possible link between vitamin D deficiency and COVID-19
    • UK public health bodies reviewing vitamin D's effects on coronavirus
    • Parents can help children deal with coronavirus-related anxiety
    • Does Vitamin D Protect Against More Severe Complications of Coronavirus?
    • Should people take vitamin D to ward off the new coronavirus?
    • Can taking Vitamin D save your life?
    • People with low vitamin D levels more likely to die from coronavirus, study finds
    • COVID-19: Vitamin D Linked to COVID-19 Deaths
    • Vitamin D Defense – Protection against COVID-19
    • GET YOUR VITAMINS Scientists investigate link between coronavirus survival rates and Vitamin D
    • FOODVitamin D and Coronavirus
    • Low Vitamin D Levels Linked To Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
    • 'Take Vitamin-D' says government as evidence emerges it could help fight coronavirus symptoms
    • Low Vitamin D linked to poor lung function
    • Study finds Vitamin D can build coronavirus resistance
    • Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of the coronavirus, study says
    • Can Vitamin D Lower Your Risk of COVID-19?
    • A lesson from the 1918 influenza pandemic!
    • Vitamin D: Deficiency May Increase Coronavirus Infection Risk
    • Research finds vitamin D is important for respiratory health
  • Breast Cancer
    • Breast cancer: Vitamin D could lower risk by 21% in Black and Hispanic women
    • Vitamin D and Breast Cancer Survival: What You Should Know
    • High intake of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus may reduce breast cancer risk
    • Obesity and Vitamin D Deficiency May Indicate Greater Risk for Breast Cancer
    • Women with high levels of vitamin D ‘are almost a third more likely to survive breast cancer’
    • Fact Check: Breast Cancer and Nutritional Supplements
    • Vitamin D Deficiency May Promote Spread of Some Breast Cancers
    • Vitamin D may double chances of surviving breast cancer
    • OMEGA-3s Inhibit Breast Cancer Tumour Growth, U of G Study Finds
    • Probiotics and Cancer
  • News & Information
    • Headline news, the latest stories >
      • 9 things that could happen if you're not getting enough vitamin D
      • Vitamin D: Recent research uncovers new benefits
      • Start the Week Off Right: Get more Vitamin D in your diet
      • Vitamin D deficiency – who is at risk?
      • Men who have good levels of vitamin D in their bachelor years will have healthy and strong kids, study finds
      • Father's pre-conception vitamin D intake linked to child height and weight at 5 years old
      • Nearly 1 billion people lacking vitamin D
      • Vitamin D supplements could improve fertility
      • Vitamin D and probiotics, perfect friends
      • Inflammatory bowel disease: Vitamin D could ease symptoms of Crohn’s, colitis and IBS
      • All Scots advised to take vitamin D says new health guidance
      • Probiotic may boost vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D can help you be strong and healthy
    • Cancer >
      • Study finds association between vitamin D, BMI and advanced cancer
      • Study Finds Vitamin D Supplements Reduce Risk of Developing Advanced Cancer
      • Effect of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level on lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancers: a nested case-control study
      • Vitamin D cuts colitis risk in cancer patients on immunotherapy by 65%
      • High Dose Vitamin D Beneficial For Colon Cancer
      • Prompting leukemia cells to die
      • Everything You Need to Know About Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention
      • Obesity and Vitamin D Deficiency May Indicate Greater Risk for Breast Cancer
      • Higher Vitamin D Levels Associated With Lower Risks Of Liver Cancer And Death From Chronic Liver Disease
      • More the Vitamin D, lesser the breast cancer risk
      • Scientists detect new ovarian cancer target
      • Higher vitamin D levels cut colorectal cancer risk
      • Vitamin D linked to lower risk of cancer- study
      • More vitamin D may be associated with lower cancer risk
      • New study suggests link between low vitamin D status and increased risk of ovarian cancer
      • Vitamin D relieves joint, muscle pain for breast cancer patients
      • Low Vitamin D Linked to Bladder Cancer
      • Low vitamin D levels increase risk for bladder cancer
      • Can Vitamin D prevent colon cancer?
      • Vitamin D fights pancreatic cancer
      • Vitamin D levels can affect aggressiveness of melanomas
      • Pancreatic Cancer Survical
      • TNBC
      • Vitamin D Melanoma
    • Childrens Health >
      • High-Dose Vitamin D Well Tolerated in Pediatric Patients
      • Why it’s so hard to identify seasonal depression in kids, and how to help
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy May Benefit Children’s Bones
      • Vitamin D Deficiency linked to Anxiety and depression in Teens
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy May Improve Dental Health of Babies
      • Newborns with Vitamin D Deficiency Have Higher Risk of Later Schizophrenia
      • Vitamin D-rich Diet May Decrease Cholesterol in Kids
      • Vitamin D Supplements To Curb Rise In Rickets
      • High vitamin D levels linked to lower cholesterol in children
      • Study Links Low Vitamin D Levels with Fracture Susceptibility and Severity
      • Vitamin D deficiency associated with pediatric obesity
      • Can Vitamin D Deficiency in Children Affect the Severity of Illnesses?
      • Can Vitamin D Reduce Risk of Pre-eclampsia in Pregnancy?
      • Warning to pregnant women on vitamin D: Shortages leads to children with poor motor skills
      • Development fears for children of expectant mothers with low vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy tied to autism risk
      • Another reason for obese children to go outside: Overweight youngsters with a vitamin D deficiency at risk of heart disease as they grow older
      • Taking Vitamin D During Pregnancy Shows Promise in Preventing Autism
      • Vitamin D deficiency found in children with digestive disorder, UMass study finds
      • Vitamin D deficiency in children exponentially increased in recent years, study finds
      • Maternal Preferences for Vitamin D Supplementation in Breastfed Infants
      • Prenatal Vitamin D Could Lower Baby's ADHD Risk, While Some Diabetes Drugs May do the Opposite
      • Neonatal Vitamin D Levels Appear to Affect MS Risk Later in Life
      • Vitamin D May Improve Symptoms in Children with Autism
      • October is Children’s Health Month
      • Vitamin D Intake During Pregnancy May Protect Against ADHD in Children
      • Regular vitamins likely unnecessary for children with healthy diets, doctor says
      • VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY LEADS TO STRESS FRACTURES IN 15-YEAR-OLD
      • Breastfeeding Moms Aren't Getting Enough of This Essential Vitamin
      • Why children’s allergies are on the rise and how dirt may hold key to reducing cases
      • Babies born to mothers with lack of Vitamin D 'more likely to have learning difficulties'
      • Vitamin D reduces Wheezing
      • Vitamin deficiencies may be linked to migraines in children
      • Vitamin D and MS
      • Less body fat for toddlers taking vitamin D
    • Sports & Endurance >
      • How Optimizing Your Vitamin D Status Promotes Muscle Health & Function
      • Reevaluating Vitamin D as a Sports Supplement
      • The Risks of Being Vitamin D Deficient as an Athlete
      • Vitamin D levels in blood tied to cardiorespiratory fitness
      • What We Know About Vitamin D and Performance
      • Girls with high level of vitamin D have stronger muscles
      • Increased vitamin D intake improves muscle strength and athletic performance
      • Low vitamin D levels associated with higher risk of muscle strain among elite-level football players
      • Are athletes realizing the importance of vitamin D before the general public?
      • Why Vitamin D Is Extra Important for Athletes
      • Optimizing athletic performance through research
      • Nearly 60% Of College Football Athletes Don’t Get Enough D
      • A spotlight on vitamin D
      • High levels of vitamin D may improve muscle strength
      • Low levels of vitamin D may increase risk of fractures in active people
      • Why Vitamin D Is Extra Important for Athletes
      • Low Vitamin D weaker athlete
      • Vitamin D profile in National Football League players.
      • Endurance and D
      • Peak Athletic Performance and Vitamin D
    • General Health >
      • Vitamin D Supplements Linked to Slower Epigenetic Aging
      • Many of us have a vitamin D deficiency and don't know it
      • Vitamin D Helps Modulate Blood Sugar & Promotes Metabolic Health
      • Vitamin D and marine omega 3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trial
      • HEALTH AND WELLNESS The 4 vitamins and supplements this immunologist takes every day to strengthen her immune system: ‘Your body will thank you’
      • If You've Hit A Wall Combating Dry Skin, You May Be Lacking This Vitamin
      • Vitamin D supplements lower risk of autoimmune disease, researchers say
      • Vitamin D3, but not D2, linked to improved immunity
      • Vitamin D and fish oil supplements reduce risk of autoimmune conditions
      • Vitamin D deficiency visible for the first time in teeth after cremation
      • Body pain and tiredness? Could be lack of vitamin D
      • This Little-Known Factor Doubles (Or More) Your Vitamin D Needs
      • 5 Vitamin D Benefits You Should Know About
      • Vitamin D Benefits
      • 7 Reasons to make sure you get enough Vitamin D Accoring to the Doctors
      • Very high dosages of vitamin D may delay frailty in old age
      • Vitamin D deficiency: Could a lack of the sunshine vitamin be causing your cold?
      • Hidden hunger: the crucial health role of Omega 3 and Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D: the superstar of prevention
      • Is Dry Skin A Sign Of Vitamin D Deficiency? Know How It Can Affect Your Skin
      • Coping with seasonal affective disorder
      • Skin Warning Signs That May Indicate You Have Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D increases protection against infection, new model suggests
      • Vitamin D deficiency linked with increased risk of death, particularly from diabetes: study
      • People with diabetes, hypertension are Vitamin D deficit: Study
      • Intake of vitamin D supplementation may slow diabetes progression
      • New study sheds light on the role of vitamin D in muscle cells
      • Why you can't absorb vitamin D through a sunny window
      • Vitamin D Benefits That’ll Make You Take the Nutrient More Seriously
      • 5 tips to improve your cognitive functions
      • 5 Ways Women Can Keep Their Bones Healthy
      • Flu Prevention Tips
      • Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Disease Severity, Mortality Risk in IPF Patients
      • 6 Health Problems That Are Caused Due To Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D deficiency - does your hair look like this? Warning signs of deficiency revealed
      • Winter Increases Risk Of High Blood Pressure
      • 4 smart tricks to overcome chronic fatigue syndrome without popping pills
      • What can a psychiatrist tell us about vitamin D?
      • Vitamin D for Asthma
      • Researchers discover a new gear in life's clock: Vitamin D
      • Can vitamin D prevent the flu?
      • Vitamin D: It’s that time of the year
      • What's the link between cold weather and the common cold?
      • 11 Sneaky Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Are you smarter in summer? Brain health changes with the seasons
      • What's the link between vitamin D, gum health, and diabetes?
      • Infection Risk Lower in Dialysis Patients with High, Normal Vitamin D
      • Researchers Find Link Between Vitamin D and Asbestosis
      • We Can Thank Poor Evolutionary Design for Vitamin D Deficiencies
      • Vitamin D deficiency ups diabetes risk in women: Study
      • REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE TAKING VITAMIN D SERIOUSLY
      • Is vitamin D deficiency to blame for lung disease?
      • Many people lack Vitamin D — even in the Sunshine State
      • Vitamin D deficiency may up diabetes risk
      • Low Vitamin D Linked to Metabolic Syndrome in Postmenopausal Women
      • Vitamin D deficiency: How to reverse a shortfall and stop painful symptoms
      • Vitamin D could provide psoriasis relief
      • Is vitamin D really a cure-all – and how should we get our fix?
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • The Benefits of Vitamin D – Why It’s the Sexiest Vitamin Around
      • Research finds vitamin D is important for respiratory health
      • Is Vitamin D Really Effective For Cold and Flu
      • Vitamin D deficiency: 6 symptoms
      • Vitamin D could help millions of people with irritable bowel syndrome
      • Frailty not ‘inevitable result of ageing’, can be reversed
      • Should ALL pregnant women take vitamin D?
      • Vitamin D supplementation may be more effective than sun exposure at raising vitamin D levels
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • 7 Benefits of Vitamin D You Might Want to Know About
      • Could Fish Oil, Vitamin D Help Ease Lupus?
      • Study confirms vitamin D protects against colds and flu
      • Are YOU vitamin D deficient? 6 signs even your doctor might miss
      • Top Myths of Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D May Lower Asthma Attack Risks
      • Vitamin D supplements may reduce asthma severity
      • The Shocking Truth About Vitamin D Deficiency And Its Repercussions
      • Vitamin D Might Be The Key Ingredient In Vitiligo Treatment
      • Vitamin D insufficiency linked to lower virologic response in HBV
      • BACK TO SCHOOL COLD PREVENTION
      • Too little vitamin D may hinder recovery of injured corneas
      • Gut reaction to a healthy life
      • Low Vitamin D Levels Increases the Risk for Chronic Headaches
      • Vitamin D Levels Predict Multiple Sclerosis Progression
      • Study Links Certain Jobs to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Can Vitamin D Improve Sunburn?
      • Vitamin D guidelines need to be updated – here’s why
      • Daily fruit smoothie helps couples trying to start a family
      • Vitamin D deficiency could cause deadly diseases, warn UAE doctors
      • Vitamin D Deficiency May Cause Early Menopause
      • Lactose intolerance linked to lower vitamin D levels
      • Vitamin D Helps Friendly Bacteria Repopulate The Gut, Making It The Perfect Campanion To Probiotic Supplements
      • Sunscreen ‘is making us vitamin D deficient’, controversial study claims
      • Widespread Vitamin D Deficiency Likely Due to Sunscreen Use, Increase of Chronic Diseases
      • Doctor’s Tip: The low-down on vitamin D
      • Pet vet: Understanding the importance of vitamin D for pets
      • Vitamin D could provide psoriasis relief
      • Can A Vitamin Deficiency Cause Depression?
      • Increased Fracture Risk: Seniors Not Taking Vitamin D Supplements
      • 11 surprising things you might not know about vitamin D
      • What is rickets, what causes the condition, is there a cure and how can I prevent Vitamin D deficiency?
      • Sunshine vitamin linked to fewer heart events: Meta­-analysis
      • Study finds link between vitamin D levels and severity of malabsorption issues
      • ‘Proof’ that Vitamin D can fight flu
      • Sunshine Is The Natural Treatment For Preventing Pre-diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes and More In Children and Adults
      • Vitamin D is not just beneficial, it’s a necessity
      • Vitamin D pills 'could stop colds or flu'
      • Vitamin D Supplementation: Protection from Respiratory Infections?
      • Relapse Risk Up With Low Vitamin D Levels in Ulcerative Colitis
      • Supplementation with vitamin D associated with improved testosterone, erectile function among middle-aged men
      • We all need the Vitamin D
      • 7 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency People Often Ignore
      • 8 Surprising Things You Didn't Know Vitamin D Could Do For You
      • Low vitamin D level predicts CV morbidity, mortality in type 2 diabetes
      • 10 Things That Will Happen If You Lack Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D study outlines impact of supplements in seniors
      • Vitamin D deficiency and the risk of tuberculosis: a meta-analysis
      • Vitamin D improves gut flora and metabolic syndrome
      • Low Levels of Vitamin D May Be Tied to Balance Problems in Fibromyalgia Patients
      • High Levels of Vitamin D Supplements May Help Improve Lung Function in CF Patients, Study Shows
      • Vitamin D Modestly Tied to Sex Hormones in Older Population
      • Sun exposure as kids may prevent nearsightedness in later life
      • Vitamin D reduces respiratory infections, but there's a catch
      • Insufficient Sun Exposure Called Emerging Public Health Problem By World-renowned Researchers
      • Weight loss combined with vitamin D supplements can reduce inflammation linked to cancer and chronic diseases
      • Higher Doses of Vitamin D Can Lower Incidence of Respiratory Infection
      • Poor fertility linked to low vitamin D levels
      • Men and the Power of Vitamin D
      • Vitamin D and Immune Function
      • High quality evidence suggests vitamin D can reduce asthma attacks
      • The association between vitamin D and COPD risk, severity, and exacerbation: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis
      • How to boost your energy levels
      • Low Vitamin D Increases Mortality Risk
      • Air pollution and vitamin D deficiency linked to dementia.
      • The Vitamin D Deficiency Epidemic … 40% World’s Population Low on D
      • Low Vitamin D Linked with All-Cause Death
      • Your Family Doesn't Have To Get Sick This Fall
      • Vitamin D is essential for the elderly living without sunshine in their lives
      • Taking THIS vitamin could protect you against cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s
      • Vitamin D tablets may help reduce asthma attacks, review finds
      • Vitamin D Proven More Effective Than Both Anti-Viral Drugs and Vaccines at Preventing the Flu
      • Bring me sunshine: How I beat eczema
      • Insulin Resistance and Vitamin D
      • Diverticulitis risk lower with higher vitamin D
      • Vitamin D deficincy linked to problems in pregnancy.
      • High Doses of Vitamin D Unlikely to Help MS Patients, But Daily Low Dose Good for All,
      • Natural Vitamin D Supplement Effective for Nondialysis CKD-MBD
      • 8 Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D deficiency could increase risk of diabetes related coronary heart disease
      • Low D may increase nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
      • Vitamin D for prostate health
      • Pregnant women with good intake of vitamin D lower risk
      • Fight infection like an Olympic athlete
      • Lack of vitamin D lowering fertility in Gulf, doctors say
      • Rayaldee Approved for Secondary Hyperparathyroidism Vitamin d Deficiency
      • Increase vitamin D levels to cut kidney problems
      • Sunbathers live longer
      • Crohn’s disease causes vitamin D deficiency
      • Taking vitamin D avoid new-onset diabetes risk
      • Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Diabetic Retinopathy
      • UK sun not enough
      • morbidity and D
      • Macular and D
      • Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D
    • Heart Health >
      • STUDY NAILS DOWN A LINK BETWEEN VITAMIN D AND HEART HEALTH
      • Vitamin D-3 could 'reverse' ​damage to heart
      • Vitamin D and the Heart
      • Vitamin D Can Mend a Broken Heart
      • D deficiency linked to high blood pressure
      • Stress of open-heart surgery significantly reduces vitamin D levels, but supplementation helps
      • Vitamin D reduces early mortality: study
      • Vitamin D-3 could 'reverse' damage to heart
      • High Vitamin D Dose May Rapidly Cut Arterial Stiffness
      • Heart failure 12 times more likely in people with vitamin D deficiency
      • Exercise and vitamin D better together for heart health
      • Sunshine vitamin linked to fewer heart events: Meta­-analysis
      • Vitamin D levels could predict risk of poor cardiovascular health
    • Neurological health >
      • New Research Shows Vitamin D Deficiency Leads to Dementia
      • Vitamin D supplementation may reduce ADHD symptoms, finds study
      • low d linked to fall, sleep problems and depression
      • Potential link between vitamin d deficiency and loss of brain plasticity
      • SUNBATHE AND QUIT SMOKING TO REDUCE MS RISK IN SPAIN’S MALAGA SAY LEADING DOCTORS
      • At risk of getting, or have, multiple sclerosis? Load up on vitamin D: MS Society
      • 4 things you can do to prevent stroke
      • Vitamin D: The Only Dietary Supplement Showing Significant Benefit for MS
      • Vitamin D Supplementation May Help Ease Depression
      • Easing your winter blues this season
      • Reducing Vitamin D Levels in Women May Up the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis
      • UNBC study shows vitamin D boosts brain function
      • Vitamin D Eases Depression, Fatigue in Spinal Cord Patients
      • Sharon Ní Chonchúir on having a baby despite her MS
      • Dutch study confirms link between certain psychiatric disorders and vitamin D deficiency
      • Vitamin D Deficiency and Depression
      • Vitamin D During Pregnancy Reduces ADHD Risk
      • Low Levels of Vitamin D in Patients With Bipolar Disorder
      • Vitamin D Supplements Improve Cognition in Patients With MS
      • Can vitamin D prevent Alzheimers?
      • The signs you might have seasonal affective disorder
      • A deficiency of THIS essential vitamin could lead to MEMORY loss
      • Vitamin D levels predict risk of brain decline in Chinese elderly
      • Vitamin D and MS
      • Alzheimer's Q&A
    • Pain >
      • Vitamin D Reduces Need for Opioid Pain Relief in Cancer Patients
      • The association of calcium and vitamin D use with implant survival of total knee arthroplasty: A nationwide population-based cohort study
      • Vitamin D for Back Pain and Disc Degeneration in Postmenopausal Women
      • Vitamin D may expedite wound healing in burn patients
      • Vitamin deficiency can cause pain
      • What is the link between psoriatic arthritis and depression?
      • Neuropathic Pain in Rheumatoid Arthritis Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • Vitamin D supplements could help pain management
      • Recent clinical trial discovers vitamin D supplementation reduces chronic low back pain
      • Chronic Headache Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency
      • With Vitamin D Deficiency More Prevalent Than Previously Thought, Pain & Stress Center Presents Solution
      • How vitamin D inhibits inflammation
      • Easy ways to relieve crippling knee pain
      • Vitamin D Supplementation and the Progression of Knee Osteoarthritis
      • Migraines Linked to Low Levels of Vitamin D
    • ​Weight Managment >
      • Research links lower vitamin D levels to excess body fat
      • Vitamin D is important for decreasing belly fat
      • Study finds association between vitamin D, BMI and advanced cancer
      • Weight loss combined with vitamin D supplements can reduce inflammation linked to cancer and chronic diseases
      • Vitamin D deficiency can cause weight gain
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  • Vitamin D may get you discharged home sooner! A deficiency in the sunshine supplement trebles the length of time patients stay in hospital
  • 5 Probiotic Benefits That Have Nothing To Do With Digestion
  • Newborns with Vitamin D Deficiency Have Higher Risk of Later Schizophrenia
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  • Exercising and Taking Vitamin D and Omega-3 Supplements May Reduce Your Cancer Risk By 61%, Study Says

Vitamin D and fish oil supplements reduce risk of autoimmune conditions

  • Recently, researchers have investigated the link between vitamin D and fish oil supplementation and the onset of autoimmune disease.
  • They found an association between taking both supplements, but especially vitamin D, for 5 years and a decreased rate of autoimmune disease.
  • The researchers caution, however, that people should seek medical advice before taking supplements, to ensure these will not interact with any preexisting health conditions.
Autoimmune disorders are chronic conditions in which the body mountsTrusted Source a spontaneous inflammatory immune response even though there is no infection present.
Examples of autoimmune conditions include:
  • autoimmune thyroid disease
  • type 1 diabetes
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • multiple sclerosis
  • psoriasis
  • rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Autoimmune conditions are the third most commonTrusted Source category of disease in the industrialized world, and the leading causeTrusted Source of mortality among females.
As there is currently no cure, and a person can only manage the symptoms, these conditions come with major societal implicationsTrusted Source. Some studies show that in the United States, Native Americans and Black populations are at a disproportionately higher risk of autoimmune conditions than white individuals.
Moreover, people with autoimmune disease often miss extended periods of employment. In addition to having their productivity affected, they face thousands of dollars in medical expenses they can no longer afford.
Some studiesTrusted Source have found that vitamin D and omega-3 fish oil may be able to regulate genes involved in inflammation and innate immune responses.
Although animal trials have found that vitamin D inhibitsTrusted Source the development or progression of disease, small trialsTrusted Source of vitamin D supplementation in people with autoimmune conditions have produced negative results.
Meanwhile, a Danish study found that RA risk decreased by 49%Trusted Source for each 30-gram (g) increase in daily oily fish intake.
Clinical trials are necessary to determine whether vitamin D or omega-3 supplements really benefit people with autoimmune disease.
In a recent study, researchers from Boston in the United States investigated the link between vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acid supplements and the onset of autoimmune disease in a nationwide, placebo-controlled trial.
They found that vitamin D supplementation led to a 22% lower rate of developing autoimmune disease.
In addition, omega-3 fatty acid supplementation led to a 15% lesser risk of autoimmune disease, although these results were not statistically significant.
“Autoimmune diseases are a group of over 80 different related diseases, and their prevalence and health impact increas[e] with age,“ Karen Harte Costenbader, M.D., professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and lead author of the study, told MNT. “This is the first direct evidence that we can do something to prevent them in older adults.”
“The clinical importance of these findings is high because these are well-tolerated, nontoxic supplements, and other effective treatments to reduce the incidence of autoimmune diseases are lacking,” the researchers write in their study.
“Additionally, we saw consistent results across autoimmune diseases and increasing effects with time. We are continuing to follow participants for 2 years in an extension study to test the time course of this autoimmune disease reduction effect. Further trials could test these interventions in younger populations and those with high autoimmune disease risk,” they add.
The study appears in the journal BMJTrusted Source.

Clinical trialThe researchers enrolled 25,871 participants from across the U.S. in their Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL). At the beginning of the trial, 51% of the participants were women aged 55 years or over, while the rest were men aged 50 years or over.
None of the participants had a history of conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or renal failure, and all received instructions to limit their vitamin D use from outside sources to no more than 800 international units (IU) per day and to not take fish oil supplements.
After enrollment, the researchers randomly split the participants into two treatment arms. The participants received daily either 2,000 IU of vitamin D and a 1-g fish oil capsule — both supplements — or placebos. The placebos contained either soybean oil or olive oil.
They took blood samples from the participants at baseline and over the course of the study to ascertain their levels of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.
The participants also filled in questionnaires at baseline to identify lifestyle factors, such as vitamin D supplement use and fish and dairy intake.
They then filled in questionnaires annually to provide information about:
  • new disease diagnoses
  • supplement adherence
  • potential side effects of either supplement or placebo treatments
  • cancer and cardiovascular disease risk factors
The researchers tracked the participants over 5 years.
By the end of the study period, they noted that 93.1% of the participants responded to the questionnaires, and 81% took at least two-thirds of their supplements.
Blood tests demonstrated that after 1 year, 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels increased by 40% from baseline among those taking vitamin D. By contrast, in the placebo group, the changes were minimal.
The study authors also found that those taking omega-3 supplements had 54.7% more omega-3 in their blood, while the individuals in the placebo group had just 2% more.
The participants in the vitamin D supplementation group — whether they were taking fish oil as well or not — were 22% less likely to develop an autoimmune condition than those in the vitamin D placebo group.
Meanwhile, those in the fish oil supplementation group — regardless of whether they were also taking vitamin D supplements — were 15% less likely to have an autoimmune condition than those in the fish oil placebo group. After controlling for other factors, the researchers found that this relationship was not significant.
They add, however, that if probable cases of autoimmune conditions were included, then omega-3 fatty acid supplementation reduced their risk by 18%.
Furthermore, the researchers observe that longer adherence to supplements led to greater benefits. Over the last 3 years of the trial, they found that vitamin D supplements led to 39% fewer confirmed autoimmune conditions than in the placebo group. They also note a link between fish oil supplements and a 10% lesser likelihood.
Taken together, the researchers found an association between supplementation of both vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids and a 30% lesser risk of developing an autoimmune condition, when compared with a placebo.

Multiple mechanismsThe study authors say there are many biological mechanisms that may explain their results.
“Activated vitamin D enters the nucleus and binds the vitamin D receptor, regulating a large array of vitamin D-responsive genes, many of which are involved in both innate and adaptive immune system function,” said Dr. Costenbader. “There are many well-known immunomodulatory actions of vitamin D, including potentially beneficial effects on B and T lymphocytes, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells, etc.”
“Similarly for marine omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils), there are many well-known anti-inflammatory and ‘pro-resolving’ mechanisms, including downregulation of inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins and leukotrienes, and upregulation of ‘specialize[d] pro-resolving mediators,’ including the resolvins, protectins, maresins, and lipoxins, that act to ‘mop up’ after inflammation and definitely could be responsible for reducing new onset autoimmune disease,” she added.
The researchers conclude that taking vitamin D and fish oil supplements over time may reduce the incidence of autoimmune disease.
They also note that their research has some limitations. As they primarily assessed older adults, they say that their findings may not be generalizable to younger people.
“We studied only one dose and formulation of each supplement, so we cannot address other doses or formulations,” added Dr. Costenbader. “We [also] do not yet know about effectiveness among people at especially high risk by virtue of family history or early signs and symptoms.”
When asked about potential use of this study to inform public health, Dr. Costenbader said,
“I think everyone should talk to their doctor first before starting these supplements, as there could be interactions with other medications or health conditions, such as kidney stones for vitamin D or excess bleeding risk [for] fish oil if taking anticoagulants, and supplements with safety seals should be selected.”
“That being said, at the doses studied in VITAL, we did not see excess adverse events, and [the doses] were very well tolerated and led to a decrease in autoimmune diseases over the 5.3 years of randomized follow-up. We are continuing to follow people in the trial, and hope to have more information about who benefits most, for which diseases, etc.,” she concluded.
​
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/vitamin-d-and-fish-oil-supplements-reduce-risk-of-autoimmune-conditions
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