Vitamin D, in addition to its important role in calcium homeostasis, has recently been discovered to play a role in immune and inflammation system modulation. According to research, Vitamin D deficiency may have a negative influence on immunological function, cardiovascular health, and cancer risk.
What is Inflammation, and What Does It Mean?
Inflammation is a defense mechanism used by your body’s white blood cells and the substances they produce to keep you safe from outside intruders like germs and viruses. In cases when there are no invaders to fight, some disorders, such as arthritis trigger your body’s defensive system. These conditions cause your immune system to consider your regular tissues as infected, causing damage.
What Does Vitamin D Do for Inflammation?
Vitamin D, in addition to its important role in calcium homeostasis, has recently been discovered to play a role in immune and inflammation system modulation by regulating the production of inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting the proliferation of pro-inflammatory cells, both of which are important in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases. Several studies have linked low vitamin D levels to an increased risk of acute infections and a poor outcome.
Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency
- Muscle weakness
- Weak bones
- Discomfort
- Depression
- Frequent illness
- Inflammation
Symptoms of Inflammation
- Redness
- A swollen, warm-to-the-touch joint
- Joint discomfort
- Joint stiffness
- A joint that isn’t performing as well as it could be.
You can also have flu-type symptoms in case of inflammation, such as:
- Fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Appetite loss.
- Muscle stiffness,
Also read: INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISORDER (IBD) AND FOOD SENSITIVITIES: KNOW THE CONNECTION
Can Low Vitamin D Cause Inflammation?
In healthy women, vitamin D deficiency is linked to inflammation, which is a detrimental immunological response. In women with low vitamin D levels, higher levels of serum TNF-a, an inflammatory marker, were discovered. This could explain the vitamin’s significance in inflammatory disorders like heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis prevention and treatment.
Do Vitamin D Deficiency Cause Joint Pain and Swelling?
Vitamin D is important for bone and muscle health, and it may also help to reduce inflammation. As a result, many people feel that vitamin D helps to relieve joint discomfort, especially when inflammation is involved. Vitamin D insufficiency causes bones to weaken and become weak. In adults, this is known as osteomalacia, and in children, it is known as rickets. Vitamin D can also help prevent osteoporosis, which is a bone-weakening disorder. Furthermore, the vitamin has the potential to alter the immune system, which could aid in the management of autoimmune diseases such as RA, Type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Also read: Probiotics and Prebiotics: The Best Foods You Should Eat
Vitamins That Fight Inflammation
- Vitamin A.
- B Vitamins.
- Vitamin C.
- Vitamin D.
- Vitamin E.
- Vitamin K.
If you’re looking for skilled treatment for inflammatory ailments, give us a call at 843-572-1600 or make an appointment with one of our specialists now. At the Center for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, we have a team of doctors dedicated to improving your overall health.
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS & THE GIFT OF HEALTH
2010 is almost here and it’s time to make our annual resolutions. If you are like me, my intentions are good but I just can’t always stick to the plan. So this coming year, let’s keep it simple. As you know, I love being your physician and care deeply for each of you. That is why I keep encouraging you to do just a few things to protect your health – the most valuable thing in your life!
So, let me try again to persuade you to take the leap of faith and begin to take good care of yourselves. We have discovered a few supplements that are consistently helpful. Imagine being able to reduce your risk of cancer by 80% as well as heart disease, depression, diabetes and most autoimmune diseases. And while you are doing that, also protecting yourself from influenza – all of this, from one dose of Vitamin D3 a day. However, your dose must raise your blood 25 hydroxy Vitamin D3 level to a minimum of 50 ng. A dose of between 4000 to 5000 I. U. should achieve this. Additionally, it is best taken with an oil or any type of fatty food for better absorption, since it is a fat soluble nutrient.
Remember, twice a year you should have your blood level checked – once in the winter and once in the summer. You do this maintenance on your car at least twice a year so why not for yourself. Strangely, my other ‘harped’ recommendation is also a fat soluble vitamin. Yes, Vitamin K2, as Meniquinone 7. It pulls calcium plaque out of your arteries and puts it back on you bones. It has also been found to reduce the aggressiveness of cancer cells from the prostate. If it works on prostate cancer, it will do the same thing in breast and most other malignancies. Vitamin K2 protects us from three major diseases – atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and cancer. It only takes one 90 mcg capsule a day taken along with your Vitamin D. What could be so profound and yet so simple?
To add the frosting to the cake, lets add one more nutrient derived from the skin of a grape. You guessed it – Resveratrol. Would you believe this nutrient can do all of the following:
1. Reduce platelets from clumping, thus reducing risk of clots, heart attacks and strokes.
2. Reduces your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
3. Reduces inflammation – the mechanism of injury for most diseases.
4.Is a powerful anti-oxidant.
5.Induces apoptosis, reversing cancer cell proliferation.
6.Reduces Insulin resistance, the first stage of diabetes.
7.Reduces eating, reducing obesity.
8.Increases ATP production in muscle giving us more energy.
9.Increases aerobic capacity and consumption of oxygen – so we can exercise longer and better.
10.Reduces fatty liver from high fat diets.
11.Last and by no means least, increases the longevity genes to help us live longer.
Resveratrol, at one 300 mg capsule a day, comes as close as possible to being the panacea that treats everything.
So here you have it, three nutrients providing you with the best cost effective insurance policy you could have.
Here’s wishing you and your families a blessed holiday season,
Allan D. Lieberman, M.D.
Medical Director
You may place an order for any of these supplements by clicking here.