Omega 3 increases vitamin D in the blood – many studies

Many articles on this page
Omega-3 increases levels of active vitamin D
Active vitamin D is the form which the body actually used
Active vitamin D is not measured by standard vitamin D tests
Omega-3 is thus especially useful to get vitamin D to the body if the kidney is not functioning properly

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The Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid on Vitamin D Activation in Hemodialysis Patients: A Pilot Study- 2015

Mar. Drugs 2015, 13(2), 741-755; doi:10.3390/md13020741
Su Mi Lee 1, Young Ki Son 1, Seong Eun Kim 1 and Won Suk An 1,2,*

Abstract: The high incidence of cardiovascular disease and vitamin D deficiency in chronic kidney disease patients is well known. Vitamin D activation by omega-3 fatty acid (FA) supplementation may explain the cardioprotective effects exerted by omega-3 FA. We hypothesized that omega-3 FA and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) supplementation may increase 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) levels compared to 25(OH)D supplementation alone in hemodialysis (HD) patients that have insufficient or deficient 25(OH)D levels. We enrolled patients that were treated for at least six months with 25(OH)D < 30 ng/mL (NCT01596842). Patients were randomized to treatment for 12 weeks with cholecalciferol supplemented with omega-3 FA or a placebo. Levels of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D were measured after 12 weeks. The erythrocyte membrane FA contents were also measured. Levels of 25(OH)D were increased in both groups at 12 weeks compared to baseline. The 1,25(OH)2D levels at 12 weeks compared to baseline showed a tendency to increase in the omega-3 FA group. The oleic acid and monounsaturated FA content decreased, while the omega-3 index increased in the omega-3 FA group. Omega-3 FA supplementation may be partly associated with vitamin D activation, although increased 25(OH)D levels caused by short-term cholecalciferol supplementation were not associated with vitamin D activation in HD patients.

26 studies cited this study as of July 2022

• The influence of omega-3 supplementation on vitamin D levels in humans: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - Dec 2020 PDF behind paywall https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1863905
  • 10 trials: 2.8 ng increase if <20 ng ( ~15%)

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Previous publication by same authors - 2012

3 grams of Omega-3 fatty acids increased active vitamin D in the blood in people who could not generate active vitamin D with their kidneys.
Calcitriol (1,25(OH)?D) concentrations increased from 17 pg/ml to 28 pg/ml after sixth months
The Omega-3 either increased production elsewhere in body or reduced destruction.
3 month Random Controlled Trial
Long review of article is behind a $5 paywall at Vitamin D Council

Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation increases 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and fetuin-A levels in dialysis patients.

Nutr Res. 2012 Jul;32(7):495-502. Epub 2012 Jul 20.
An WS, Lee SM, Son YK, Kim SE, Kim KH, Han JY, Bae HR, Rha SH, Park Y.
Department of Internal Medicine, Dong-A University, 3Ga-1, Dongdaesin-Dong, Seo-Gu, Busan 602-715, Republic of Korea.

Vitamin D deficiency, low levels of fetuin-A, and fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) are related to vascular calcification, which is associated with cardiovascular disease. We hypothesized that omega-3 fatty acid (FA), which has cardioprotective properties, modifies vitamin D status, fetuin-A, and FGF-23 levels in dialysis patients. In a randomized, open-label, controlled study, a total of 47 patients treated with dialysis for at least 1 year were randomized to treatment for 6 months with omega-3 FAs (Omacor, 3 g/d; Pronova, Sandefjord, Norway) or a control group. Levels of fetuin-A and FGF-23 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassay, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were measured by radioimmunoassay. The mean age of the enrolled patients was 57.4 ± 10.4 years, and mean dialysis duration was 46.5 ± 28.1 months. Twenty-seven hemodialysis patients and 16 peritoneal dialysis patients finished this trial. After 6 months, the levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and fetuin-A were significantly increased in the group taking the omega-3 FA supplement compared with baseline. Levels of calcium, phosphorous, parathyroid hormone, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, FGF-23, and lipid profiles were not significantly changed in the omega-3 FA-supplemented group after 6 months compared with baseline. The erythrocyte membrane contents of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were significantly increased, and oleic acid content was significantly decreased in the omega-3 FA-supplemented group after 6 months compared with baseline. Regarding vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease, omega-3 FA supplementation may have a clinical benefit caused by activating vitamin D, increasing fetuin-A levels, and modifying erythrocyte membrane FA contents in dialysis patients.

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Thus there appear to be several possible solutions for increasing active vitamin D levels

1. Increase the vitamin D intake
2. Increase the response to the vitamin D you are getting - perhaps by 2X
3. Add Sun/UV - which increased the vitamin D
4. Take active vitamin D = Calcitriol (which has a very short half life, is very expensive, and has side-effects)
5. Increase Omega-3 (and probably decrease Omega-6 - the study did not indicate)
6. Increase Magnesium intake

Note: the active form of vitamin D is the most important, but rarely measured (for many good reasons),

but Calcitriol is the form of vitamin D which actually does the magic in the body

See also Vitamin D Life

• Calcitriol category listing has 56 items along with related searches
• Overview: Omega-3 many benefits include helping vitamin D
• Cognitive decline in elderly slowed by Omega-3 – meta-analysis May 2015
• Overview Kidney and vitamin D which has the following chart

The chart shows that Vitamin D3 becomes activated by the kidney OR paracrine/autocine system in: colon, prostate, lungs, brain, breast, skin, . . .

Perhaps Omega-3 aids the paracrine/autocine system in activating vitamin D

• Vitamin D3 becomes Calcidiol which becomes Calcitriol
• Vitamin D reduced so low that Victorian age diseases are returning note Omega-3 in the lower right of the chart

See also Web

• Google Scholar for "omega-3" "vitamin D" 44,000 hits as of July 2022]
  • Includes scores of ;publications of the VITAL trial
• VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL (VITAL) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital 2000 IU and 1 gram of Omega-3
• (many companies sell supplements which are a combination of Omega-3 and Vitamin D
• Google Scholar:r "omega-3" "vitamin D" (paracrine OR autocrine) 2,350 as of july 2022
• Clinical trial for Omega-3 1083 as of Oct 2017
• Clinical trial for Omega-3 and vitamin D 114 as of Oct 2021
• 61 Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids GreenMedInfo June 2012
  Members can download an ebook listing >300 studies of Omega-3

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