August 3, 2013

Arthritis and Vitamin D: What's the Connection?

From everydayhealtth.com

Arthritis and Vitamin D: What's the Connection?
Research shows that people with arthritis are likely to be deficient in the so-called sunshine vitamin, but these easy strategies can help.

By Marie Suszynski
Medically reviewed by Niya Jones, MD, MPH

Vitamin D got its nickname, "the sunshine vitamin," because sun exposure helps promote vitamin D production in the body. This essential nutrient is also found naturally in a few foods such as oily fish (mackerel, salmon) and is used to fortify milk, baby formula, cereal, and juice. But changing lifestyles and diets mean that many of us are lacking in vitamin D. In fact, it's estimated that about 75 percent of American teens and adults don't get enough vitamin D, and studies suggest that this may play a role in several chronic diseases, including arthritis.

Just what role does vitamin D play in arthritis and arthritis symptoms? "It's hard to know at what level it's working," says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, the Maui, Hawaii-based medical director for the Nutritional Magnesium Association and author of Future Health Now Encyclopedia. Vitamin D may affect arthritis pain by affecting the joints directly or by interacting with the immune system, she adds.

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