Vitamin D Decreases Inflammation

Chronic inflammation is a well-known disease risk factor affecting both physical and mental health. One of the most common ways of measuring inflammation is by measuring levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the blood. Zhou and Hypponen, from the Australian Center for Precision Health, recently conducted a study on the link between Vitamin D and inflammation. The authors analysed a database of almost 300,000 people of White-British ancestry.

The analysis revealed the presence of an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and CRP – as vitamin D levels increased, CRP levels decreased. The relationship was only present at low levels of vitamin D. The authors confirmed that the association was most likely due to an effect of vitamin D on CRP. Vitamin D may lead to the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The results suggest that supplementing with vitamin D, in order to prevent low Vitamin D levels, may reduce chronic inflammation and reduce the severity of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune disease, neurodegenerative disease and other diseases with an inflammatory component.