Vitamin D deficiency could be the cause of irritable bowel syndrome, according to new research.

The Best IBS Treatment Under the Sun

In All Health Watch, Diet and Nutrition, Featured Article

There’s strong evidence low levels of vitamin D are to blame for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A new study out of the University of Sheffield found 82% of IBS patients don’t have enough of the nutrient.

IBS can be painful, inconvenient, and embarrassing. It causes stomach cramping, diarrhea, and constipation. And it’s common. One in five adults in the U.S. has the condition.

What’s the solution? It’s certainly not the drugs doctors use to treat it. They are often ineffective or even make symptoms worse.

For example, there’s Amitiza. It relieves constipation. But it often causes more problems than it fixes, inducing stomach pain, diarrhea, and nausea. And antidiarrheal IBS pills like Lotronex can cause constipation, heartburn, and hemorrhoids.

It’s no surprise 70% of IBS patients opt out of treatment.1

Meanwhile, vitamin D is safe and natural. And it actually heals the digestive system.

There are vitamin D receptors in the esophagus, stomach, and intestines.2 Vitamin D binds to these and lowers inflammation. One way it does this is by reducing tumor-necrosis factor—or TNF.

Research shows IBS patients have higher levels of this inflammatory protein. Scientists believe it could be what causes IBS symptoms.3

It’s important to maintain a vitamin D level between 40 and 60 ng/mL to keep your gut healthy.4

To be sure you’re getting enough, get the 25-hydroxy vitamin D test. It’s a simple blood draw that measures your levels. Just ask your doctor for it.

The best way to raise your levels is to get some sun. Spending about a half hour with arms and legs exposed to sunlight can produce up to 10,000 IU of vitamin D.

Or you can supplement with about 5,000 IU a day of whole-food vitamin D3. This is ideal for people with darker complexions or who live in higher latitudes. These factors make it harder to create the nutrient from the sun’s rays.

In Good Health,

Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch

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References:
1http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs
2https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-breakthrough-depression-solution/201111/psychological-consequences-vitamin-d-deficiency
3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17383420
4http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20111004/low-vitamin-d-levels-linked-to-advanced-cancers