Numerous studies, such as one in the November 2010 issue of "Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology," have connected vitamin D-3 with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. A 2009 report in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" showed that as many as 77 percent of Americans were vitamin D deficient, and a recent study from 2010 by the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine found that rheumatoid arthritis cases are on the rise among Caucasian women and researchers believe that an increase in vitamin D deficiency is to blame.
What is Vitamin D-3?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that is broken down into two components, vitamin D-2 and vitamin D-3. Vitamin D-2 is made using plants and is the type that is used to fortify foods such as milk. Vitamin D-3 is the natural form that your body creates when the skin is exposed to the ultraviolet B rays from the sun. Vitamin D-3 can also be found in animal products but especially oily fish, such as salmon. Vitamin D is more effective for humans in the D-3 form, and this form also has a greater ability to maintain a healthy vitamin D level in the blood. Vitamin D is needed for bone strength and growth, and it also plays an important role in immune system health.
What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?
According to the Arthritis Foundation, rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is not only a type of inflammatory arthritis but also a disease of the immune system. The body's immune system is designed to fight infections from viruses and bacteria, but if you suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system wages a war on your own body. It attacks the synovial fluid and tissue found between the joints and causes swelling, decreased range of motion, fatigue and bone and joint deformity. There is no cure for RA, though it can in some cases fall into remission. Times of increased disease activity are referred to as "flares."
Vitamin D Research
Several studies have looked at the connection between vitamin D and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. A study published in the March 2010 "Israel Medical Association Journal" looked at 50 healthy individuals. The objective was to see how vitamin D played a role in the creation of regulatory T cells in the body. T cells work to regulate the immune system. What they found was that high doses of vitamin D supplements in healthy individuals increased the production of these regulating T cells. With vitamin D deficiency, these T cell numbers are much lower. This may be the underlying issue that connects vitamin D deficiency with higher cases of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.
Vitamin D Supplementation
When it comes to the supplementation of any vitamin, consult with your physician. In the case of vitamin D, ask your doctor to run a 25 hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D blood test to see if you are deficient. If you are, the standard treatment for deficiency is an eight-week course of 50,000 international units, or IU, of vitamin D. Your blood work will be retested and the course repeated if your levels have not reached optimal levels. When it comes to autoimmune diseases and how much vitamin D you should take each day, physicians and researchers are still in debate. While the Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board recommend 600 IU a day for adults, researchers and physicians like Dr. Michael Horlick believe that you should take 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day, especially those with an autoimmune disease. Consult with your physician and see what he believes will be the best course of supplementation for you. Because some medications can also affect your vitamin D levels, he will take that into account and adjust as needed.
References
- "Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatology"; Does Vitamin D Affect Risk of Developing Autoimmune Disease?: A Systemic Review; M.A. Kriegel et al.; November 2010
- "Scientific American"; Vitamin D Deficiency Soars in the U.S., Study Says; Jordan Lite; March 23, 2009
- "The Israel Medical Association Journal: IMAJ"; Vitamin D Supplementation and Regulatory T Cells in Apparently Healthy Subjects: Vitamin D Treatment for Autoimmune Diseases?; B. Prietl et al.; March 2010
- Natural News; Vitamin D Deficiency Likely Cause of Increased Rheumatoid Arthritis Cases Among Caucasian Women; Ethan A. Huff; June 26, 2010
- University of California Television; D-Lightful Vitamin D: Bone & Muscle Health and Prevention of Autoimmune and Chronic Diseases
- Arthritis Foundation: What is Rheumatoid Arthritis
