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THIS TEXT IS FROM NEW SCIENTIST 5TH FEBRUARY 2022 NEWS / HEALTH: http://doi.org/gn9xdm
Older adults boosted by vitamin D tablets
TAKING supplements of vitamin D prevents some people developing an autoimmune disease, at least for those aged over 50, in a study providing the first evidence of a causal link between the two.
Previous studies on the effect of vitamin D on autoimmune conditions have looked at those with an autoimmune disease or those who go on to develop one. Other studies have hinted at the supplement’s beneficial effects on the immune system, but no studies had proven the link.
To remedy this, Karen Costenbader at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and her colleagues randomly split nearly 26,000 people in the US who were 50 or over into two groups, giving them either vitamin D supplements or a placebo. The team tracked the participants for around five years to measure the development of autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune thyroid disease and psoriasis.
This revealed that a dose of 2000 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day reduced the development of autoimmune disease by 22 per cent, compared with the placebo (British Medical Journal, doi.org/gn9xdm). This is a larger dose than the 400 IU recommended by health bodies such as the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care.
It is unclear how vitamin D prevents autoimmune disease, but we know it is processed in the body to produce an active form that can alter the behaviour of immune cells.
The team is now extending the trial to see how long the benefits last and hopes to start a new trial in younger people.
“I’m very excited and really quite bowled over by the results,” says Costenbader. ■