“ A little bit of sunshine goes a long way”
VITAMIN D and our Immune system
“Don’t forget your vitamins!” – How many times have we heard our mom or dad hound us every day to take our vitamins? Knowing full well that they have only but our best interests in mind, I almost always tuned them out and swallowed my vitamins just to pacify them.
Fast forward to present day – I hear my mother’s voice as I repeat those words “ Don’t forget your vitamins” to our 15 year old, eliciting that overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
Vitamin D is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s produced in your skin in response to sunlight. It’s a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D-1, D-2, and D-3
Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency has increased in today’s general population and has become an important public health issue. Vitamin D is mainly known for its favorable effects on the absorption of calcium and phosphorus as well as bone and teeth growth.
However, increasing numbers of studies have established that vitamin D insufficiency contributes to a number of diseases. Several clinical studies have confirmed that vitamin D plays a crucial role in modulating innate immune responses toward various pathogens. Moreover, recent studies indicate that vitamin D can regulate the adaptive immune response in various inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. These results suggest the beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation in decreasing the risk and adverse outcomes of inflammatory diseases.
It is also known as an immunomodulatory hormone. Experimental studies have shown that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, the active form of vitamin D, exerts immunologic activities on multiple components of our immune system as well as endothelial membrane stability. Association between low levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and increased risk of developing several immune-related diseases and disorders, including psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, tuberculosis, sepsis, respiratory infection, and COVID-19, has been observed.
Vitamin D plays a very important role in keeping us healthy and fighting illness in the least destructive way by regulating the immune response (the production of cytokines) without provoking an immune overreaction such as the “cytokine storm” or hypercytokinemia (often associated with severe COVID-19 illness), and inhibiting the proliferation of pro-inflammatory cells, both of which are crucial for the manner of development of inflammatory diseases.
Cytokines are natural mediators that play an important role in normal immune responses and communication between cells. Cytokines are small proteins that act as chemical messengers for communication between cells. The way they interact with the body and each other is extremely complex.
A cytokine storm occurs when an extreme amount of mediators or cytokines are released into the blood too quickly, amplifying the immune response to critical levels and causing significant damage to the body. A cytokine storm can occur as a result of an infection, autoimmune condition, or other disease. It may also occur after treatment with some types of immunotherapy. Signs and symptoms include inflammation throughout the body that leads to high and persistent fevers (redness and swelling), a reduced number of mature blood cells, and coagulopathies (blood’s ability to clot is impaired causing prolonged or excessive bleeding) that can lead to severe internal bleeding and severe fatigue and nausea. This can rapidly progress to multi-system organ failure and even death.
Vitamin D steers the immune system away from highly inflammatory pathways and toward a pathway that is more regulated. Although it is still debatable what level of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is optimal, it is advisable to increase vitamin D intake and have sensible sunlight exposure to maintain serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D at least 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L), and preferably at 40-60 ng/mL (100-150 nmol/L) to achieve the optimal overall health benefits of vitamin D.
Other uses of Vitamin D include: supports the nervous system, contributes to efficient cellular activity including cells in the breast and colon, fosters a positive mood and a strong cognitive function, encourages strong healthy muscles, supports a healthy cardiovascular system, plays a role in kidney function, promotes emotional health and fosters healthy respiratory function.
In the meantime, if you have a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your health care provider about whether a supplement might be right for you. If you’re concerned about your vitamin D level, ask your health care provider about getting it checked.
