Vitamin D: when to ask for labs

Vitamin D is one of the 4 fat-soluble vitamins that have been shown to play a role in IBD and the immune system.  Research has consistently shown that during times of active inflammation, for example, when a person is in a flare, vitamin D levels start to decline.  The questions that we start asking ourselves is why vitamin D is an important marker to monitor and reasons for maintaining healthy levels.  Continue reading on to learn more about why vitamin D and IBD work well together. Vitamin D and IBDAccording to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), roughly 60%-70% of patients with IBD do not meet optimal vitamin D levels.  Some research has even shown that vitamin D deficiency can play a role in the development of IBD (1).  Furthermore, research has shown that extraintestinal manifestations from IBD including osteoporosis, can develop due to a pre-existing vitamin D deficiency. In animal models, vitamin D supplementation can be part of a treatment plan for colitis and in patients with IBD, low levels of vitamin D can increase the risk of relapse in disease (1). Vitamin D is not only a fat-soluble vitamin but also a hormone that contributes to a healthy immune system.  When vitamin […]