- Vitamin D strengthens the immune system and dampens down inflammation
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that causes joint swelling
- The condition reduces a sufferer’s vitamin D sensitivity, requiring higher doses
- Affected joints are ‘committed to inflammation’ and less likely to change
- Experts hope to help overcome vitamin D insensitivity in arthritis patients
Vitamin D may prevent inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, new research reveals.
The so-called ‘sunshine supplement’ strengthens the immune system, which helps to prevent the body from attacking healthy cells and causing autoimmune conditions, such as arthritis.
Rheumatoid arthritis, which causes joint swelling, may also benefit from vitamin D’s anti-inflammatory effects.
Yet, as the painful joint condition reduces a sufferer’s vitamin D sensitivity, patients may not benefit from taking such supplements once they have developed the disorder, or at least not at recommended doses, according to the researchers.
Study author Dr Louisa Jeffery from the University of Birmingham, said: ‘Our research indicates that maintaining sufficient vitamin D may help to prevent the onset of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
‘However, for patients who already have rheumatoid arthritis, simply providing vitamin D might not be enough. Instead much higher doses may be needed’.
Vitamin D may prevent inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, research reveals
‘Vitamin D may help to prevent rheumatoid arthritis’
The researchers analysed blood and joint fluid from rheumatoid arthritis patients.
Dr Jeffery said: ‘Our research indicates that maintaining sufficient vitamin D may help to prevent the onset of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
‘However, for patients who already have rheumatoid arthritis, simply providing vitamin D might not be enough.
‘Instead much higher doses of vitamin D may be needed, or possibly a new treatment that bypasses or corrects the vitamin D insensitivity of immune cells within the joint.’
Already-affected joints are ‘committed to inflammation’
Study author Professor Martin Hewison added: ‘Immune cells from the joints of rheumatoid arthritis patients are more committed to inflammation, and therefore less likely to change, even though they have all the machinery to respond to vitamin D.’
The researchers hope to carry out additional research to uncover why rheumatoid arthritis reduces vitamin D sensitivity and if this can be overcome.
The findings were published in the Journal of Autoimmunity.