Tag: vitamin D

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Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to More Pain After Breast Cancer Surgery

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Patients with vitamin D deficiency may benefit from supplements before operations

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Vitamin D deficiency is associated with more moderate to severe pain following breast cancer surgery and an increased consumption of opioid drugs, finds research published online in the journal Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D (below 30nmol/L) may benefit from taking supplements before undergoing a radical mastectomy, suggest researchers.

There is emerging evidence suggesting that vitamin D helps control how pain is felt and processed by the body. This is likely due to its anti-inflammatory effects and action on the immune system. Vitamin D deficiency is also commonly reported among patients with breast cancer. A team of researchers set out to examine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and postoperative pain in patients undergoing breast cancer surgery.

Their prospective observational study, carried out at Fayoum University Hospital in Egypt between September 2024 and April 2025, included 184 breast cancer patients who were scheduled to undergo surgical removal of one entire breast.

Half of the patients were classified as vitamin D deficient (below 30 nmol/L) and half were classified as vitamin D sufficient (above 30nmol/L). Both groups had similar characteristics with an average age of 44 in the vitamin D deficient group and 42 in the vitamin D sufficient group.

Patients were managed according to the hospital’s routine protocol both during and after surgery. Clinical staff involved in their care were unaware of the patients’ vitamin D levels.

The opioid fentanyl was administered during the operation to manage acute pain. Following surgery, all patients were given paracetamol through a drip every 8 hours. In addition, patients could control how much tramadol (another opioid analgesic) they were given by directly pressing a button.

Patients reported their pain levels at zero, 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours and 24 hours after surgery. Nausea and vomiting, sedation score and days in hospital following surgery were also recorded.

Patients with vitamin D deficiency were three times more likely to report moderate to severe postoperative pain at any time point during the first 24 hours than those with sufficient vitamin D levels, the study found.

The researchers noted, however, that no patient in either group reported severe pain (7 or over on a scale of 0 to 10) so the difference was due entirely to a reduction in moderate pain (4-6 on the pain scale).

Vitamin D deficient patients received, on average, 8 μg more fentanyl during surgery, which the researchers described as a modest difference.

However, the study found those in the vitamin D deficient group used substantially more tramadol (112mg) after surgery than those who had sufficient vitamin D levels. This strong opioid was controlled directly by the patient up to a maximum dose of 50mg per hour.

Opioid drugs can cause a number of side effects including nausea, vomiting, drowsiness and confusion, while also carrying risks of dependency and addiction.

Postoperative nausea was more common in the vitamin D deficient group, and vomiting occurred only in that group, although the difference in vomiting was small and not statistically significant.

The study had some limitations. It was observational and conducted at a single centre, so no firm conclusion can be drawn about cause and effect. The researchers also did not assess inflammatory markers so could not explore the mechanisms underlying the relationship between vitamin D and pain. Data was also not collected on anxiety, depression, cancer stage, treatment or sleep disturbance before the surgery was carried out.

Nevertheless, the researchers conclude, “Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher occurrence of moderate to severe postoperative pain and increased opioid consumption in patients undergoing unilateral modified radical mastectomy.”

They suggest, “Preoperative vitamin D supplementation in breast cancer patients with vitamin D levels below 30 nmol/L may have a role in modulating postoperative pain.”

Source: The BMJ Group

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Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements Offer Little to No Meaningful Benefit on Fracture and Fall Prevention

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Recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation should be re-evaluated, suggest researchers

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Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplements offer little to no clinically meaningful benefit on fracture and fall prevention in most older people, finds an in-depth review of the latest evidence published by The BMJ.

Almost a third of people aged 65 and older fall each year, often resulting in fractures, which are linked to pain, reduced quality of life, and the need for residential care. Preventing falls and fractures is therefore a global public health priority.

Several previous evidence reviews have found no reduction in fractures with either calcium or vitamin D supplements and results are inconsistent for combined use. The benefit of vitamin D on falls also remains unclear.

Yet despite this, many clinicians, guidelines, and regulatory agencies recommend vitamin D supplements (with or without calcium) for bone health, and prescriptions have increased substantially in recent years.

To address this uncertainty, researchers in Canada reviewed the results of 69 randomised controlled trials involving 153,902 adults that assessed the effect of calcium or vitamin D supplements – or a combination of both – on reducing the number of fractures and falls compared with placebo or no treatment.

The trials were of varying quality, but the researchers were able to assess their risk of bias and certainty of evidence using established tools.

After agreeing on clinically meaningful thresholds, the researchers found little to no effect for experiencing any fracture from use of calcium supplements (moderate certainty evidence from 11 trials; 9,067 participants), vitamin D supplements (high certainty evidence from 36 trials; 92 045 participants), or combined supplementation (high certainty evidence from 15 trials; 51 126 participants).

Calcium, vitamin D, or combined supplementation also appeared to have little to no effect on specific fractures, such as hip fractures, or falls, based largely on moderate to high certainty of evidence.

The researchers acknowledge that some analyses included a small number of trials and participants, so these findings should be interpreted with caution, and results may not apply to individuals with specific bone disorders or to those receiving drug treatment for osteoporosis.

However, the findings were consistent after further analyses to account for differences such as participant age, sex, history of fractures and falls, and average dietary calcium intake, supporting the strength of their conclusions.

As such, they say these findings “do not support routine supplementation with calcium or vitamin D, or combined supplementation to prevent fractures and falls” and they suggest clinicians, guideline panels, and regulatory agencies “should re-evaluate their general recommendations for calcium and vitamin D supplementation in light of current evidence.”

Evidence from rigorous and well-powered trials is needed to inform recommendations for supplementation in higher-risk groups, say researchers in a linked editorial.

In the meantime, they suggest that focus and funding should be redirected towards interventions that have been shown to offer meaningful prevention of falls and falls related injuries, such as balance and resistance exercise, and interventions that combine elements like exercise, hazard assessment or education, tailored to individual risk.

Source: The BMJ Group

Categories : Diet and NutritionTags :

Vitamin D2 Supplements May Actually Lower Vitamin D3 Levels

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Taking vitamin D2 might lower the body’s levels of the more efficient form of vitamin D, vitamin D3, according to new research from the University of Surrey, John Innes Centre and Quadram Institute Bioscience. 

Many people take vitamin D supplements to support their bone and immune health and meet the UK government recommendation of 10 micrograms (µg) each day, especially during the winter months. 

There are two forms of vitamin D supplements available: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Researchers have found that taking vitamin D2 supplements can lead to a drop in the body’s concentration of vitamin D3, which is the form our bodies naturally produce from sunlight and use most effectively to raise overall vitamin D levels.  

The study, published in Nutrition Reviews, analysed data from randomised controlled trials and found that vitamin D2 supplementation resulted in a reduction in vitamin D3 levels compared to those not taking a vitamin D2 supplement. In many of the studies, the vitamin D3 levels went lower than in the control group. 

Vitamin D supplements are important, especially between October and March, when our bodies cannot make vitamin D from sunlight in the UK. However, we discovered that vitamin D2 supplements can actually decrease levels of vitamin D3 in the body, which is a previously unknown effect of taking these supplements. This study suggests that subject to personal considerations, vitamin D3 supplements may be more beneficial for most individuals over vitamin D2. 

Emily Brown, PhD Research Fellow and Lead Researcher of the study from the University of Surrey’s Nutrition, Exercise, Chronobiology & Sleep Discipline

This research supports a previous study published in Frontiers in Immunology, led by Professor Colin Smith from the University of Surrey, which suggests that vitamin D2 and D3 do not have identical roles in supporting immune function. Vitamin D3 has a modifying effect on the immune system that could fortify the body against viral and bacterial diseases

We have shown that vitamin D3, but not vitamin D2, appears to stimulate the type I interferon signalling system in the body – a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defence against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.

Professor Colin Smith, University of Surrey

Further research into the different functionalities of vitamin D2 and D3 should be a priority in deciding whether vitamin D3 should be the first-line choice of vitamin D supplement, subject to individual requirements. 

Source: University of Surrey

Categories : Cancer Diet and NutritionTags :

Magnesium Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Development – Mostly in Females

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The findings from the current study suggest that magnesium also increases the gut synthesis of vitamin D, which does not go to the blood and takes effect locally.

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Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center have demonstrated in a precision-based clinical trial that a magnesium supplement increases gut bacteria in humans that have been shown to synthesise vitamin D and inhibit colorectal cancer carcinogenesis.

However, the effect was observed primarily in females – an outcome that the researchers surmised may be attributable to the role that oestrogen plays in shifting magnesium from circulation into cellular uptake.

Intestinal microbiome data and colonoscopy results were analysed from participants who were randomised by whether they had the TRPM7 genotype, which plays a crucial role in regulating magnesium and calcium uptake.

Previously, the investigators showed in the same randomised trial that magnesium enhances the synthesis of vitamin D and increases the blood levels of vitamin D. The findings from the current study suggest that magnesium also increases the gut synthesis of vitamin D, which does not go to the blood and takes effect locally.

These results from the trial were published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“Our previous study showed magnesium supplementation increased blood levels of vitamin D when vitamin D levels were low,” said Qi Dai, MD, PhD, professor of Medicine. “The current study reveals that magnesium supplementation also increases the gut microbes which have been shown to synthesise vitamin D in the gut without sunlight and locally inhibit colorectal cancer development.”

The participants were divided into two arms, one that received the magnesium supplement and another that received a placebo. Their gut microbiome was analysed from stools, rectal swabs and rectal tissues. Among participants with adequate TRPM7 function, the magnesium supplement increased Carnobacterium maltaromaticum and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, which were previously found to work synergistically to increase vitamin D and decrease colorectal carcinogenesis. Among those with inadequate TRPM7 function, the magnesium supplement reduced the abundance of F. prausnitzii in rectal mucosa.

Among 236 participants who all had a history of colorectal polyps, 124 underwent colonoscopies after completing the trial with a 3.5-year median follow-up time. A higher abundance of F. prausnitzii in rectal mucosa was associated with an almost threefold increase in developing additional polyps.

Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Categories : Cancer Diet and NutritionTags :

Can Vitamin D Help Prevent Colorectal Cancer?

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The science is promising – but not straightforward

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Justin Stebbing, Anglia Ruskin University

The potential role of vitamin D in preventing and treating colorectal cancer (CRC) has attracted growing research interest – especially as CRC rates are rising, particularly among younger adults. This isn’t a new area of study. Low vitamin D levels have long been linked to a higher risk of developing colorectal cancer.

One large study involving over 12 000 participants found that people with low blood levels of vitamin D had a 31% greater risk of developing CRC compared to those with higher levels. Similarly, another study reported a 25% lower CRC risk among individuals with high dietary vitamin D intake.

Data from the Nurses’ Health Study – a long-term investigation of American nurses – showed that women with the highest vitamin D intake had a 58% lower risk of developing colorectal cancer compared to those with the lowest intake.

Now, a review highlights vitamin D’s promise in colorectal cancer prevention and treatment – but also underscores the complexity and contradictions in current research.

While observational data, which follow people’s use of vitamin D, and mechanistic studies, to investigate how vitamin D works in the laboratory, suggest protective effects, this isn’t confirmed by larger trials.

In fact, randomised controlled trials (RCTs), in which some people receive vitamin D and others don’t, the gold standard by which treatments are judged, reveal inconsistent outcomes. This highlights the need for a balanced approach to its integration into public health strategies.

Vitamin D is synthesised in the skin in response to sunlight and exerts its biological effects through vitamin D receptors (VDRs) found throughout the body, including in colon tissue. When activated, these receptors help regulate gene activity related to inflammation, immune response and cell growth – processes central to cancer development and progression.

Preclinical studies have shown that the active form of vitamin D (calcitriol) can suppress inflammation, boost immune surveillance (the immune system’s ability to detect abnormal cells), inhibit tumour blood vessel growth and regulate cell division – a key factor in cancer development, as demonstrated in my recent research.

Epidemiological studies, which track health outcomes across large populations over time, consistently find that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing CRC. This paints a hopeful picture, suggesting that something as simple as getting more vitamin D – via sun exposure, diet, or supplements – could lower cancer risk.

But the story gets more complicated.

Mixed results

When it comes to medical decision-making, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard. These studies randomly assign participants to receive either a treatment (like vitamin D) or a placebo, helping eliminate bias and isolate cause-and-effect relationships.

Unfortunately, RCTs on vitamin D and CRC have produced mixed results.

For example, the VITAL trial – a major RCT involving over 25 000 participants – found no significant reduction in overall colorectal cancer incidence with 2000 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation over several years.

However, a meta-analysis of seven RCTs did show a 30% improvement in CRC survival rates with vitamin D supplements, suggesting potential benefits later in the disease course rather than for prevention.

On the other hand, the Vitamin D/Calcium Polyp Prevention Trial found no reduction in the recurrence of adenomas (pre-cancerous growths) with supplementation, raising questions about who benefits most, and at what dosage.

Adding to the uncertainty is the question of causation. Does low vitamin D contribute to cancer development? Or does the onset of cancer reduce vitamin D levels in the body? It’s also possible that the observed benefits are partly due to increased sunlight exposure, which itself may have independent protective effects.

The big picture

These discrepancies highlight the importance of considering the “totality of evidence” – treating each study as one piece of a larger puzzle.

The biologic plausibility is there. Observational and mechanistic studies suggest a meaningful link between vitamin D and lower CRC risk. But the clinical evidence isn’t yet strong enough to recommend vitamin D as a standalone prevention or treatment strategy.

That said, maintaining sufficient vitamin D levels – at least 30ng/mL – is a low-risk, cost-effective health measure. And when combined with other strategies like regular screening, a healthy diet, physical activity, and personalised care, vitamin D could still play a valuable role in overall cancer prevention.

Vitamin D is not a miracle cure – but it is part of a much broader picture. Its role in colorectal cancer is promising but still being defined. While it’s not time to rely on supplements alone, ensuring adequate vitamin D levels – through sun exposure, diet, or supplements – remains a smart choice for your health.

Colorectal cancer is a complex disease, and tackling it requires an equally nuanced approach. For now, that means focusing on evidence-based lifestyle changes, regular screenings, and staying informed as new research unfolds.

Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The Importance of Vitamin D during First Trimester

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Low vitamin D levels in the first trimester of pregnancy are associated with higher rates of preterm birth and decreased foetal length, according to a new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department of Nutritional Sciences. This research provides evidence that early pregnancy or even preconception may represent critical time points for intervening with women who have low vitamin D status, to optimise pregnancy outcomes.

Celeste Beck, who earned her doctorate in nutritional sciences from Penn State in 2023, and Alison Gernand, Beck’s doctoral adviser and associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State, led the study. Their results were recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“More than 25% of women who are pregnant or lactating have lower than recommended levels of vitamin D,” Gernand said, explaining that prior research has demonstrated the effect of vitamin D on foetal skeletal growth, maternal immune function at the foetal interface, and the development of the placenta in pregnant women. “A lot of the development early in pregnancy requires vitamin D, so we conducted this study to better understand how early-pregnancy vitamin D status is related to pregnancy outcomes.”

Most prior studies on vitamin D status in pregnant women have measured vitamin D concentrations starting in the second trimester or later, the researchers said. The researchers said this study, to their knowledge, is the first to examine both first and second trimester maternal vitamin D status in relation to longitudinal foetal growth and pregnancy outcomes.

The researchers at Penn State partnered with colleagues at the University of Utah to test blood samples from 351 women collected as part of the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-Be, which was funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and recruited pregnant women across the United States between 2010 and 2013.

According to the Institute of Medicine, less than 50nmol/L represents an insufficiency of vitamin D. When the researchers compared outcomes for women with vitamin D insufficiency (less than 50nmol/L) to women with sufficient vitamin D (more than or equal to 50nmol/L), they found no statistical differences in pregnancy outcomes. However, when the researchers compared pregnancy outcomes across a wider range of vitamin D concentrations, they found that pregnant women with first trimester vitamin D concentrations lower than 40 nmol/L were four times more likely to experience a preterm birth compared to women with vitamin D concentrations more than or equal to 80nmol/L.

Despite the higher risk of preterm birth in women with low vitamin D status, the researchers cautioned that these results were based on a very low number of preterm births in this study and recommend that additional, larger studies be conducted.

The researchers also observed an association between first-trimester vitamin D concentrations and certain foetal growth patterns. Women with higher levels of vitamin D experienced a small but statistically significant increase in foetal length.

Source: Penn State

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Five Years of Vitamin D Supplements Fails to Prevent Diabetes

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Using significantly higher doses of vitamin D than recommended for five years did not affect the incidence of type 2 diabetes in elderly men and women, according to a new study from the University of Eastern Finland which appears in Diabetologia.

In population studies, low levels of vitamin D in the body have been associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, but such observational studies cannot directly prove a causative link. Experimental studies have shown that the use of significantly higher doses of vitamin D than recommended slightly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in individuals with impaired glucose metabolism, ie, those with prediabetes. In contrast, no effects have been observed in individuals without prediabetes. However, the studies with non-prediabetic subjects have used relatively small doses of vitamin D or have been short-term. Until now, there has been no research data on the effects of long-term use of high doses of vitamin D on the risk of type 2 diabetes in individuals without glucose metabolism disorders.

In the Finnish Vitamin D Trial (FIND) conducted at the University of Eastern Finland from 2012 to 2018, 2 495 men aged 60 and older and women aged 65 and older were randomised for five years into either a placebo group or groups receiving either 40 or 80 micrograms of vitamin D3 per day. In the statistical analyses of the now-published sub-study, 224 participants who were already using diabetes medications at the start of the study were excluded. Comprehensive information was collected from the participants on lifestyle, nutrition, diseases, and their risk factors. Data was also obtained from national health registers. About one-fifth were randomly selected for more detailed examinations, and blood samples were taken from them.

During the five years, 105 participants developed type 2 diabetes: 38 in the placebo group, 31 in the group receiving 40 micrograms of vitamin D3 per day, and 36 in the group receiving 80 micrograms of vitamin D3 per day. There was no statistically significant difference in the number of cases between the groups.

In the more closely studied group of 505 participants, the blood calcidiol level, which describes the body’s vitamin D status, was on average 75nmol/L at the start, and only 9% had a low level, ie, below 50nmol/L. After one year, the calcidiol level was on average 100nmol/L in the group that used 40 micrograms of vitamin D per day and 120nmol/L in the group that used 80 micrograms of vitamin D per day. There was no significant change in the placebo group. The effects of vitamin D on blood glucose and insulin levels, body mass index, and waist circumference were examined during the first two years of the study, but no differences were observed between the groups.

The findings of the FIND study reinforce the view that the use of higher doses of vitamin D than recommended does not significantly affect the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in individuals without prediabetes and who already have a good vitamin D status. So far, there is no research data on whether high doses of vitamin D can be beneficial in preventing type 2 diabetes in individuals without prediabetes but with vitamin D deficiency.

Source: University of Eastern Finland

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For Healthy Adults, New Guideline Recommends only Daily Allowance of Vitamin D

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Guideline recommends vitamin D higher than the recommended daily allowance for children, pregnant people, adults over 75 and adults with prediabetes

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Healthy adults under the age of 75 are unlikely to benefit from taking more than the daily intake of vitamin D recommended by the Institutes of Medicine (IOM) and do not require testing for vitamin D levels, according to a new Clinical Practice Guideline issued today by the Endocrine Society. For children, pregnant people, adults older than 75 years and adults with high-risk prediabetes, the guideline recommends vitamin D higher than the IOM recommended daily allowance.

Vitamin D use and blood vitamin D levels have been associated with many common diseases. However, whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of these diseases and what vitamin D blood levels are needed for better health have been debated for years.

In this new guideline, the panel of experts established guidelines for vitamin D use and testing for vitamin D levels in healthy persons without established indications for vitamin D treatment or testing. The guideline relied on clinical trials to develop the recommendations.

The guideline, titled “Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline,” was published online and will appear in the August 2024 print issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM), a publication of the Endocrine Society.

“The goal of this guideline was to address the vitamin D requirements for disease prevention in a generally healthy population with no underlying conditions that would put them at risk of impaired vitamin D absorption or action,” said Marie Demay, M.D., of Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass. Demay is the chair of the panel that developed the guideline. “Healthy populations who may benefit from higher dose vitamin D supplements are those 75 and older, pregnant people, adults with prediabetes, and children and adolescents 18 and younger, but we do not recommend routine testing for vitamin D levels in any of these groups.”

Key recommendations from the guideline include:

  • We suggest against vitamin D supplements at doses beyond the reference dietary intakes recommended by the IOM in healthy adults under 75 years old.
  • We identified the following populations that may benefit from supplementation above the intakes recommended by the IOM because of the potential to reduce specific health risks:
    • Children and adolescents 18 and younger—potential to prevent nutritional rickets and to reduce the chance of respiratory infections.
    • Individuals 75 and older—potential to lower mortality risk.
    • Pregnant people—potential to reduce risk of pre-eclampsia, intra-uterine mortality, preterm birth, small-for-gestational age birth and neonatal mortality.
    • People with prediabetes—potential to reduce progression to diabetes.
  • In adults ages 50 years and older who have indications for vitamin D supplementation or treatment, we suggest daily, lower-dose vitamin D instead of non-daily, higher-dose vitamin D.
  •  We suggest against routine testing for 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in any of the populations studied, since outcome-specific benefits based on these levels have not been identified. This includes 25-hydroxyvitamin D screening in people with dark complexion or obesity.

Even though the evidence on the role of vitamin D in health and disease has increased over the last decade, the panel noted many limitations in the available evidence. For example, many of the large clinical trials were not designed for several of the outcomes that they reported, and the studied populations had vitamin D blood levels that most would consider adequate to begin with. Based on insufficient evidence, the panel could not determine specific blood-level thresholds for 25-hydroxyvitamin D for adequacy or for target levels for disease prevention.

Source: The Endocrine Society

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Not Just Sunlight – Individual Factors Influence Vitamin D Production

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A new study from Trinity College Dublin sheds light on the complexities of achieving optimal vitamin D status across diverse populations. The study, which was recently published in the journal Clinical Nutrition, showed that individual factors like age, sex and body mass index significantly affected vitamin D levels generated from sunlight exposure.

Despite substantial research on the determinants of vitamin D, levels of vitamin D deficiency remain high. Dr Margaret M. Brennan, Research Assistant, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Medicine, Trinity College and first author, said:

“We hope this work can highlight the significant differences in vitamin D levels among different ethnic groups at northern latitudes and contribute to efforts to address the long-standing population health issue of vitamin D deficiency.”

The authors analysed data from half a million participants from the United Kingdom (UK,) and for each person, they calculated the individualised estimate of ambient ultraviolet-B (UVB) level, which is the wavelength of sunlight that induces vitamin D synthesis in the skin.

A comprehensive analysis of key determinants of vitamin D and their interactions revealed novel insights. The first key insight is that ambient UVB emerges as a critical predictor of vitamin D status, even in a place like the UK, which receives relatively little sunlight. The second is that age, sex, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, and vitamin D supplementation significantly influence how individuals respond to UVB. For example, as BMI and age increase, the amount of vitamin D produced in response to UVB decreases.

Professor Lina Zgaga, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, School of Medicine, Trinity College and the principal investigator, said:

“We believe our findings have significant implications for the development of tailored recommendations for vitamin D supplementation. Our study underscores the need to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach towards personalised strategies for optimising vitamin D status.”

Source: Trinity College Dublin

Categories : Mental HealthTags :

Probiotics plus Vitamin D may Boost Cognition in Schizophrenia

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Previous studies have questioned whether gut microbe imbalances and vitamin D deficiency may be linked to schizophrenia. New research published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports now indicates that taking probiotics plus vitamin D supplements may improve cognitive function in individuals with the disease.

For the study, 70 adults with schizophrenia were randomised to take a placebo or probiotic supplements plus 400 IU vitamin D daily for 12 weeks. Severity of the disease and cognitive function were evaluated by tests called the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the 30-point Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), respectively.

A total of 69 patients completed the study. The MoCA score increased by 1.96 units in the probiotic-containing supplement group compared with the placebo group. Also, the percentage of patients with MoCA scores of 26 or higher (indicating normal cognition) rose significantly in the intervention group. Between-group differences in PANSS scores were not significant.

“Probiotics may be a novel way to treat mental disorders by regulating gut microbiota,” said corresponding author Gita Sadighi, MD, of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, in Iran.

Source: Wiley