Vitamin D, touted as the "sunshine cure," might also prevent and fight
Crohn's disease, suggests a new study by Montreal researchers.
The discovery has yet to be confirmed by clinical trials, but it raises
hopes for the estimated 170,000 Canadians with either Crohn's disease or
ulcerative colitis.
Canada has one of the highest reported rates in the world for Crohn's
disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder that usually affects the
lower small intestine.
"Our data suggests for the first time that Vitamin D deficiency can
contribute to Crohn's disease," said John White, an endocrinologist at the
Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre.
White noted that people who live in northern climates -- which receive less
sunshine that is essential for the fabrication of Vitamin D by the human
body -- are especially vulnerable to Crohn's disease.
White and his colleagues treated cancer cells in the lab with Vitamin D, and
then carried out a micro-array or genetic analysis of those cells. They
found that Vitamin D switched on two genes that are important in preventing
or fighting Crohn's disease.
"It's reasonable to think that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the
frequency of the disease," White said. "Siblings of patients with Crohn's
disease that haven't yet developed the disease might be well advised to make
sure they're Vitamin D sufficient."
As for whether taking Vitamin D could be an effective treatment for Crohn's,
White was cautious, saying that would have to be demonstrated in a clinical
trial.
The White study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
Source : Canwest News Service
