Vitamin D & Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Was browsing over @ IBSGroup.org & found a blog post by user ‘absoluterob’ about Vitamin D deficiency. It is an interesting post on how Vitamin D can help reduce inflammation. Vitamin D is known as ”the sunshine vitamin” since most people produce it naturally by being out in the sun. I don’t get a whole lot of sunlight during my day & a lot of people in the northern hemisphere probably don’t get a lot either. Besides helping with inflammation it also helps with mood. Seasonal Affective Disorder which is basically seasonal depression is suspected to be caused partially by a lack of sunlight/Vitamin D production. So overall it would seem like supplementing Vitamin D would be a wise idea.
I myself have a cabinet full of the alphabet vitamins(A, B, C, D & E). I’ve dabbled a bit with different supplements, but haven’t really been on a regular supplement regimen except for a Vitamin B complex, which I take religiously as I credit it for helping me when I was dealing with Gastroparesis. I did find some Vitamin D left over and took some today. Can’t say anything amazing happened immediately, but like most things, it takes time. A lot of vitamins seem to have a funky compounding agent that can cause me to get constipated, so I need to be careful with what I take. There do appear to be some soft gel pills available for Vitamin D, this may help reduce the risk of constipation or stomach upset. The suggested intake for Vitamin D ranges from 1000mcg – 5000mcg. Dosages vary by product. After looking over some different Vitamin D products, I’d suggest Nature’s Bounty Vitamin D3. You may also want to check out a their Vitamin D2 supplement as well. If you have a favorite brand please let me know.
This is interesting, It was me who posted that posting on ibsgroup.org. So i’ve been on 5000 IU vitamin D since August 2009 or so. In Toronto now, where I live, it’s been an insane heat wave.. 2 things have happened
1. my testosterone levels have increased
2. IBS symptoms all but gone…
last week i was in the sun many hours a day during Toronto’s Gay Pride festival, and the week before for Canada Day. i developed a dark tan, and since that week in the sun, my IBS-D symptoms have gone. For some reason im sure they will return, but the only explanation is my involvement in the sun, and being outdoors and being more physical.
Interesting.
I was taking D-3 before I got the IBS so I quit taking it. I quit all supplements except for fish oil and COQ10. I walk 4 miles a day so I do get plenty of sun. I may start taking the D-3 again. The GoodBelly drink has helped me tremendously.
I am interested in this about Vit-D and Irritable Bowel,I am taking about 2500 a day ,I had a level done and it is in range,I still have some trouble nwith IBS,should I increase it , I noticed up to 5000 U per day,I did not know Vit-D can help with this. Bill
If you’ve noticed improvement since you started taking Vitamin D you could possibly try increasing your Vitamin D level. Supposedly the danger zone for overdoing Vitamin D is somewhere in the 10,000 – 40,000 IU range. Bumping up to 5,000 IU probably wouldn’t do any harm. I personally do not see IBS improvements with Vitamin D. Though it does seem to improve my mood and perhaps gives me a little more energy.
More on Vitamin D dosing levels can be found here:
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/vitaminDToxicity.shtml
This is interesting. I have been battling with IBS ever since I was a teen ager. Nothing seemed to help. After the H1N1 thing 2 years ago, I started taking vitamin D3, at least 1000IU regularly. Here is what has changed for me:
-No more IBS cramps or pains (and I was precribed a lot of different medicines NOTHING helped me)
-I am in a better mood
-Less palpitations
-I used to have regular nosebleeds 2 times a month, no more! All gone.
-I had a few fibroadenomas… they’re gone and I am 40, the doctors were telling me at my age they would never go away on their own.
I am firm believer in Vitamin D3.
Talk to your primary care provider about it. We give our patients with documented Vitamin D deficiency 50,000 IU one to two times a week for prolonged periods, with little to no side effects. (My Vitamin D level is usually <&, which is equal to non-detectable, and i do feel somewhat better with my IBS symptoms since starting D3 as calcitriol 0.25 mcg per day).
I viewed your site. I suffer with irritable bowel syndrome and GERd. What vitamins would benefit me. I feel like I’m missing something. I also have finger and toe nails that have ridges on them which possible indicated some sort of vitamin. I would appreciated a reply.
Hello Katie,
I would suggest you check out my other site Diet IBS, I have a bunch of different vitamins, herbs & minerals that you could try. You may want to talk to your doctor about having a vitamin deficiency test done. Most often people are low on B12 or Vitamin D3. I am not sure what would be causing the ridges on your toenails however.