Autoimmune diseases are the third leading cause of morbidity in the industrialized world and a leading cause of death among women. Multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus… in total more than 80 pathologies have already been listed, with the common point that they are all triggered by a reaction of the immune system.
Few treatments are available, but researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston (USA) have investigated whether vitamin D supplementation or Omega-3 essential fatty acids, could reduce the risk of suffering from an autoimmune disease. “Animal models of autoimmune diseases have reported vitamin D to be beneficial because it inhibits the development or progression of the disease,” the researchers point out. in the British Medical Journal“But the question had not been addressed in clinical trials”.
The scientists therefore conducted a clinical trial with a group of 25,871 participants, men and women over the age of 50, whom they followed for 5 years. Some received vitamin D supplementation, others Omega-3 and others finally received a placebo. Their findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation for five years, with or without omega-3 fatty acids, reduced autoimmune disease by 22%, while omega-3 fatty acid supplementation with or without vitamin D reduced the autoimmune disease rate of 15%. Significantly greater effects than in the placebo groups.
“This trial was not intended to examine vitamin D supplementation in a deficient population, but in participants representative of vitamin D levels in the general elderly population in the United States. Now, when my patients, colleagues or friends ask me what vitamins or supplements I recommend they take to reduce the risk of autoimmune disease, I have new evidence-based recommendations for women 55+ and men 50+ “ underlines the Pre Karen Costenbader, main author of the study. “I suggest taking 2000 IU of vitamin D per day and 1000 mg per day of omega-3”.
Source : Vitamin D and marine omega 3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trialBritish Medical Journal, January 2022
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