Crohn’s helped by 5000 IU vitamin D – April 2013

Therapeutic Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation in a Pilot Study of Crohn’s Patients

Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology (2013) 4, e33; doi:10.1038/ctg.2013.1, Published online 18 April 2013
Linlin Yang PhD1, Veronika Weaver1, Jill P Smith MD2, Sandra Bingaman RN2, Terryl J Hartman MPH/PhD3 and Margherita T Cantorna PhD1
1 Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
2 Department of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA
3 Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Correspondence: MT Cantorna, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, The Center for Molecular Immunology and Infectious Disease, 115 Henning Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA. E-mail: mxc69 at psu.edu
Received 28 June 2012; Revised 3 December 2012; Accepted 18 January 2013

OBJECTIVES: Low vitamin D status may be associated with Crohn’s disease. A pilot study was performed in patients with mild-to-moderate Crohn’s disease to determine the dose of vitamin D needed to raise serum vitamin D levels above 40 ng/ml.

METHODS: Patients were evaluated for severity of symptoms using the Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) and patients with mild-to-moderate (150–400 CDAI scores) Crohn’s disease were entered into the study (n=18). Vitamin D3 oral therapy was initiated at 1,000 IU/d and after 2 weeks, the dose was escalated incrementally until patients’ serum concentrations reached 40 ng/ml 25(OH)D3 or they were taking 5,000 IU/d. Patients continued on the vitamin D supplements for 24 weeks. CDAI, quality of life measures, bone mineral density, dietary analyses, cytokines, parathyroid hormone, calcium, and several other laboratory measurements were evaluated at baseline and after 24 weeks supplementation.

RESULTS: Fourteen of eighteen patients required the maximal vitamin D supplement of 5,000 IU/d. Vitamin D oral supplementation significantly increased serum 25(OH)D3 levels from 16±10 ng/ml to 45±19 ng/ml (P<0.0001) and reduced the unadjusted mean CDAI scores by 112±81 points from 230±74 to 118±66 (P<0.0001).
Quality-of-life scores also improved following vitamin D supplementation (P=0.0004). No significant changes in cytokine or other laboratory measures were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:
Twenty-four weeks supplementation with up to 5,000 IU/d vitamin D3 effectively raised serum 25(OH)D3 and reduced CDAI scores in a small cohort of Crohn’s patients suggesting that restoration of normal vitamin D serum levels may be useful in the management of patients with mild–moderate Crohn’s disease.

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The chart in the PDF shows that the vitamin D levels did not raise much until sometime in the last 3 months.
Can not expect much benefit from vitamin D in that short of a time period
PDF is attached at the bottom of this page

See also Vitamin D Life

• Overview Gut and vitamin D
• Crohn’s disease helped when vitamin D level raised above 30 ng – RCT Feb 2015
• Active Crohn's disease is associated with low vitamin D levels – Feb 2013
• More than half those with Crohn’s disease have less than 20ng of vitamin D – March 2012
• About 40 percent more likely to get Crohn’s Disease or UC if have low vitamin D – March 2012
• Crohn's disease kids are 2X more likely to have low vitamin D, intervention helps – April 2012
• Crohn’s disease deficient in vitamin K – IBD deficient in vitamins K and D – April 2011
• All items in category gut and vitamin D 168 items

Crohn's Disease decreases the amount of vitamin D which can be typically absorbed in the gut

Note: There are several ways to add vitamin D which are not affected by gut problems

• Bio-emulsified drops doubled vitamin D levels – Dec 2010
• Sublingual vitamin D good for gut problems - also, there is a version with sublingual vitamin K2
• Might consider Vitamin D spray inside of the cheek - very little use of the gut
• Overview Magnesium and vitamin D mentions a sublingual form of Magnesium and ionic Mg which is absorbed very quickly
• More Sun
• Some sun lamps which have UV

See also same study at Vitamin D Council

• Open-label pilot trial: Vitamin D helps manage Crohn’s May 2013
  The mean CDAI score at baseline was 230. After 24 weeks, this fell to 118.
  After 24 weeks, 12 of 18 patients had their Crohn’s disease in remission (CDAI less than 150).
  78% of patients had a favorable response, meaning their CDAI score dropped by 70 points. No participants had a flare-up.