Vitamin D and gastrointestinal diseases: inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer

Therap Adv Gastroenterol. 2011 January; 4(1): 49–62.

doi: 10.1177/1756283X10377820.

PMCID: PMC3036961

Maitreyi Raman; Division of Gastroenterology, University of Calgary, 6D26, Teaching, Research and Wellness Building, 3280 Hospital Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 4N1; [email protected]

Andrew N. Milestone; St. Marks Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Julian R.F. Walters; Division of Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare, London, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, UK

Ailsa L. Hart; St. Marks Hospital, Harrow, Middlesex, UK

Subrata Ghosh; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Over the past 5 years, there has been a rapid resurgence of interest in vitamin D outside of its traditional role in metabolic bone disease. Some nontraditional roles ascribed to vitamin D include anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating effects. These effects have led to possible implications in the pathophysiology of immune-mediated diseases including multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition, vitamin D insufficiency has been linked to higher rates of cancers including colon, prostate and breast cancers. Given these diverse associations of vitamin D and disease states, this review describes recent advances with regard to vitamin D and gastrointestinal diseases, in particular IBD and colorectal cancer.

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See also Vitamin D Life

• Extra Vitamin D needed for Crohns

  • with lots of links, including a Vitamin D product which is easy to absorb, even with gut problems

• Gluten Intolerance - with notes on vitamin D - 2009: web page, video, and slides

Notice the lower left of the following chart from Overview of Vitamin D Deficiency