Is vitamin D supplementation a viable treatment for Crohn’s disease?

Abstract

Vitamin D, important for maintaining bone health in Crohn’s disease (CD), may have potential as a treatment for the core inflammatory disease process. There is plausible evidence in favor of vitamin D as an anti-inflammatory from animal models, epidemiological and cross sectional studies of CD. Few clinical trials, however, have been published and therefore the translation of this promise into clinical benefit for people with CD remains unclear. The purpose of this piece is to consider the viability of vitamin D as a treatment for CD based on the current available evidence.

KEYWORDS:

• Vitamin D
• 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD)
• Crohn’s disease (CD)
• randomized controlled trial (RCT)
• dietary supplements

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maria O’Sullivan