Parkinson’s Disease and Vitamin D – review of 52 studies – May 2022

Vitamin D and Parkinson’s Disease

Nutrients Volume 14 Issue 6 10.3390/nu14061220
Antonia Pignolo 1ORCID,Sergio Mastrilli 1,Chiara Davì 1ORCID,Valentina Arnao 2,Paolo Aridon 1,Felipe Augusto dos Santos Mendes 3ORCID,Cesare Gagliardo 1ORCID andMarco D’Amelio 1,*

• 1 Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Advanced Diagnostics, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
• 2 UO Neurologia e Stroke Unit, Azienda di Rilievo Nazionale ad Alta Specializzazione, Ospedali Civico Di Cristina Benfratelli, 90134 Palermo, Italy
• 3 Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Brasília, Brasília 72220-275, Brazil

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble secosteroid, traditionally considered a key regulator of bone metabolism, calcium and phosphorous homeostasis. Its action is made possible through the binding to the vitamin D receptor (VDR), after which it directly and indirectly modulates the expression of thousands of genes. Vitamin D is important for brain development, mature brain activity and associated with many neurological diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD).

High frequency of vitamin D deficiency in patients with Parkinson’s disease compared to control population was noted nearly twenty years ago. This finding is of interest given vitamin D’s neuroprotective effect, exerted by the action of neurotrophic factors, regulation of nerve growth or through protection against cytotoxicity.

Vitamin D deficiency seems to be related to disease severity and disease progression, evaluated by Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) scale, but not with age of PD onset and duration of disease.

Additionally, fall risk has been associated with lower vitamin D levels in PD. However, while the association between vitamin D and motor-symptoms seems to be possible, results of studies investigating the association with non-motor symptoms are conflicting. In addition, very little evidence exists regarding the possibility to use vitamin D supplementation to reduce clinical manifestations and disability in patients with PD.

However, considering the positive balance between potential benefits against its limited risks, vitamin D supplementation for PD patients will probably be considered in the near future, if further confirmed in clinical studies.

Summary from PDF

In summary, as low serum 25(OH)D levels might be correlated with an increased risk of developing PD, higher 25(OH)D levels seems to be associated with better motor symptoms, especially with improved balance control. It is not yet clear if vitamin D is related to the severity of symptoms of PD and with clinical progression; therefore, its role as disease progression biomarker for PD is not yet clear. Further studies are needed to establish the role of vitamin D etiology of PD, and its relationship with motor and non-motor symptoms, quality of life and progression of disease.
It is not yet proven if vitamin D reintegration could be an appropriate support to pharmacological and rehabilitative therapy in PD patients. However, though insufficient evidence is available to introduce vitamin D as supportive therapy in PD patients, con­sidering its limited risks, we are confident enough to insinuate, as a dietary intervention, that vitamin D supplementation would act at three different levels:

• (1) improve public health considering its possible role in brain development and its influence in pathogenesis of many neurological disorders, including PD;
• (2) slowing down the worsening of some PD symptoms;
• (3) finally, considering the increased risk of falls during disease progression, reduce the risk of fracture in PD patients.

 Download the PDF from Vitamin D Life

Vitamin D Life - Overview Parkinson's and Vitamin D contains

• Vitamin D associated with Parkinson’s Disease in 55 studies, more studies needed- March 2022
• Parkinson's category has 112 studies
• Parkinson’s Disease and Vitamin D – review of 52 studies – May 2022
• Parkinson patients: 60 % taking Vitamin D – Dec 2019
• Low Vitamin D increases Parkinson's by 3X– July 2010 "only" a 30 year test, need more study
• Parkinson's disease prevented by Vitamin D, but small doses do not treat it - Aug 2023
• 10 clinical trials for PD with vitamin D intervention as of June 2023
• Parkinson’s Disease Summer School – alternative therapies included 60-80 ng of Vitamin D – Sept 2019
• Associated with PD are: Meta-analyses (12 ), Cognition (22 studies), Multiple Sclerosis (17 studies), VIRUS (4 studies), Omega-3 (3 studies), Vitamin D Receptor (11 studies)
• Note by the Founder of Vitamin D Life: I have twice recommended lots of Vitamin D to treat PD. Both got much better, but one had his doctor him cut back to just 2,000 IU. All of his recovery got reversed. With lots of vitamin D he could sing and bike, but now he can barely talk or walk

Vitamin D Life - 11 studies in both categories Parkinson's and Vitamin D Receptor

This list is automatically updated

VitaminDwiki - Vitamin D Receptor activation can be increased by:

any of: Resveratrol,  Omega-3,  Magnesium,  Zinc,   Quercetin,   non-daily Vit D,  Curcumin, intense exercise,   Ginger,   Essential oils, etc  Note: The founder of Vitamin D Life uses 10 of the 12 known VDR activators