Vitamin D Supplements Could Fight Crohn's Disease

[Guest guest]

Thank You Vicki B. for the article:

Vitamin D Supplements Could Fight Crohn's Disease

ScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 2010) — A new study has found that Vitamin D, readily

available in supplements or cod liver oil, can counter the effects of Crohn's

disease. White, an endocrinologist at the Research Institute of the McGill

University Health Centre, led a team of scientists from McGill University and

the Université de Montréal who present their findings about the inflammatory

bowel disease in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Our data suggests, for the first time, that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute

to Crohn's disease, " says Dr. White, a professor in McGill's Department of

Physiology, noting that people from northern countries, which receive less

sunlight that is necessary for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human body,

are particularly vulnerable to Crohn's disease.

Vitamin D, in its active form (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D), is a hormone that binds

to receptors in the body's cells. Dr. White's interest in Vitamin D was

originally in its effects in mitigating cancer. Because his results kept

pointing to Vitamin D's effects on the immune system, specifically the innate

immune system that acts as the body's first defense against microbial invaders,

he investigated Crohn's disease. " It's a defect in innate immune handling of

intestinal bacteria that leads to an inflammatory response that may lead to an

autoimmune condition, " stresses Dr. White.

What Vitamin D does

Dr. White and his team found that Vitamin D acts directly on the beta defensin 2

gene, which encodes an antimicrobial peptide, and the NOD2 gene that alerts

cells to the presence of invading microbes. Both Beta-defensin and NOD2 have

been linked to Crohn's disease. If NOD2 is deficient or defective, it cannot

combat invaders in the intestinal tract.

What's most promising about this genetic discovery, says Dr. White, is how it

can be quickly put to the test. " Siblings of patients with Crohn's disease that

haven't yet developed the disease might be well advised to make sure they're

vitamin D sufficient. It's something that's easy to do, because they can simply

go to a pharmacy and buy Vitamin D supplements. The vast majority of people

would be candidates for Vitamin D treatment. "

" 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, "

says Marc J. Servant, a professor at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of

Pharmacy and study collaborator. " We have identified a new treatment avenue for

people with Crohn's disease or other inflammatory bowel diseases. "

This study was funded by a grant from McGill University