For patients with IBS, vitamin D supplementation has no impact on improving symptom severity or quality of life, according to a study published in the European Journal of Nutrition. Claire E. Williams, University of Sheffield, UK, and colleagues examined whether vitamin D supplementation improves IBS symptoms in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 135 participants from the community received vitamin D or a placebo for 12 weeks. At baseline, 60% of the participants had deficient or insufficient vitamin D. The researchers observed an increase in vitamin D levels in the intervention arm versus the placebo arm (45.1 ± 32.88 nmol/L vs 3.1 ± 26.15 nmol/L; P<0.001). However, no difference was seen in the change in IBS symptom severity over time between the intervention and placebo arms (−62.5 ± 91.57 vs −75.2 ± 84.35; P=0.426). Similarly, no difference was seen in the change in the quality of life between the intervention and placebo trial arms (−7.7 ± 25.36 vs −11.3 ± 25.02; P=0.427). “This study found no benefit of vitamin D supplementation on either symptom of IBS or on quality-of-life measures using standardized assessments,” the authors wrote. IBS patients should be screened for vitamin D status and supplemented appropriately for general health reasons.”

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