Vitamin D keeps getting better

Vitamin D has now been found to help prevent rheumatoid arthritis in addition to helping prevent cancer, improving your overall health, as well as fighting off metabolic syndrome and depression according to new studies from the University of Birmingham and University College London. The benefit list of vitamin D just keeps growing.

Approximately 1% of the world’s population, about 1.3 million adult Americans, are affected by rheumatoid arthritis. It develops usually in joints when the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body. The autoimmune disease is associated with painful swelling and inflammation, possibly in several joints at once, wrists, hands, and knees are common areas affected. Early stages of onset causes inflammation in the lining of the joint, further progression it damages the joint itself, this can cause continuous pain but it may also cause problems with balance and even may cause deformities.

Researchers analyzed blood and joint fluids from 15 patients between the ages of 40 – 85 with rheumatoid arthritis as well patients without.  The samples from the control group without the illness and the samples from patients with the illness were matched by gender and age.

Testing showed that different types of cells responded differently to vitamin D.  Findings suggest and support that vitamin D may help to prevent rheumatoid arthritis but also other inflammatory diseases, but does not seem to help those already with the illness as the cells appeared to be already desensitized. Researchers suggest that higher doses may benefit current sufferers that may correct or bypass the insensitivity noted in theory. The researchers would like to do further testing to find out why rheumatoid arthritis causes the insensitivity and how to prevent it, and find if there are similar effects in other inflammatory conditions.

Vitamin D is important for healthy teeth, bones, and muscles. Studies show it can also reduce risk of colds, flu, and infection like pneumonia. Vitamin D deficiencies are common, spending time in the sun for as little as 15 minutes a day is the best way to get the body to produce more. What better reason to get outside and enjoy.