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Vitamin D And Inflammation

Vitamin D and inflammation are two things that are not often linked with one another, as people usually associate vitamins more for their ability to keep a person healthy, rather than for relieving pain or physical issues. However, anyone who doesn’t look closer into the link between the two is seriously selling themselves short on a great, natural way to stay both healthy and pain-free.

With studies suggesting that more than one in three people suffer from systemic inflammation, it is unsurprising that anti-inflammatory drugs are some of the most commonly used over-the-counter medications in the world. The problem is that while they can be very effective, many are also linked to a variety of unpleasant side effects, especially if they are used long-term.

That is why switching to a natural option like vitamin D, which is both safe and effective, is such a good move. Unfortunately, with many people not realizing just how useful it can be for reducing inflammation, most are simply unwilling or unprepared to make the switch. That is why we decided to write the following article, to give people all of the information that they need on vitamin D and inflammation to make the decision to try it and see what impressive inflammation and pain-relieving effects it can produce for themselves.

Table of Contents

What Is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is an essential, fat-soluble vitamin also called cholecalciferol and “the sunshine vitamin”. It is needed for countless functions in the human body to occur, with studies showing that an average person needs a minimum of between 10 and 20 mcg of vitamin D per day for their body to function at an optimal level (1).

Widely available in foods and supplements, raising your vitamin D intake offers countless health benefits, including reducing inflammation and the risk of influenza, improving bone, brain, heart, and immune system health and functions, boosting energy and testosterone production and levels, enhancing male sexual health, muscle strength, and bone density, regulating blood sugar levels, and helping combat depression and many other health issues.

This article is dedicated to examining how vitamin D can reduce inflammation, but anyone who is interested in learning more about the other health benefits that vitamin D can offer should check out the two previous articles we published on all of its benefits, which can be found here and here.

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What Is Inflammation?

Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury, infection, or certain other harmful stimuli. A natural part of the immune system’s defense mechanism, it is designed to protect the body and support healing. Unfortunately, while acute inflammation is helpful, when it becomes chronic it can actually do more harm than good.

Chronic inflammation can last anywhere from weeks to years and is often linked to long-term health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and autoimmune diseases. It is caused when the immune system goes into overdrive or doesn’t shut down after an infection or injury has healed and can end up damaging the tissues and organs (2).

Vitamin D And Inflammation: How Does Vitamin D Reduce Inflammation?

Modulates The Immune System

Vitamin D is great for immune system modulation as it helps to regulate both the innate (early response) and adaptive (long-term, specific response) immune systems by promoting the production of certain antimicrobial proteins. These proteins are a crucial part of the body’s first line of defense against various pathogens, and one of the most beneficial proteins of this type, cathelicidin, possesses powerful antiviral properties that help fight off a wide range of different infections and ailments.

Beyond modulating the immune system as a whole, vitamin D is then also particularly good at strengthening the immune response that it produces, including inflammation. It recognizes and attacks pathogens, helps the body fight off viruses, and influences the production of cytokines to regulate inflammation levels. This will protect you from chronic inflammation, which is what causes the pain and damage associated with it (3).

Check out our article on Vitamin D and Influenza here

Regulates T-Cell Numbers

Vitamin D affects the function of T-cells, which are a type of immune cell involved in the inflammatory response, as each cell of this type contains a VDR (vitamin D receptor). It promotes the development of regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and ensures they function at an optimal level, without ever going into overdrive. This helps to suppress overactive immune responses that can lead to chronic inflammation, without shutting the immune system down (4).

Reduces Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines

Vitamin D helps to balance the production of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which are signaling proteins involved in inflammation. It reduces the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-alpha, IL-1, and IL-6, which are typically involved in chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and cardiovascular disease, and boosts the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, like IL-1RA.

This will help you keep your inflammation levels in the acute category, rather than chronic (5).

Produces Anti-inflammatory Effects on Macrophages

Vitamin D also affects macrophages, which are another type of immune cell. It does this by promoting the production of anti-inflammatory molecules and reducing the release of inflammatory molecules. This will again try to ensure that your body produces the correct response to an injury or illness, including a degree of inflammation that is helpful, rather than problematic (6).

Supports Gene Expression

Through its receptor (VDR), vitamin D can influence gene expression and has the ability to turn certain genes off or on. As some genes increase inflammation in the body and others decrease it, keeping the levels of these genes that are present in your body balanced is vital to keep your inflammation levels in check (7).

Did you know that Vitamin D can boost testosterone?

Creates Harmony Between Inflammation And Healing

Inflammatory responses are part of the body’s healing process and are essential, but chronic inflammation can be very harmful. Vitamin D helps to maintain a balance between the necessary inflammatory responses for healing and preventing long-term inflammation that leads to tissue damage.