A new study suggests that vitamin D could potentially alleviate the severity of psoriasis, a skin condition affecting over eight million people in the U.S. The research, which involved close to 500 psoriasis cases, found a connection between lower vitamin D levels and more severe psoriasis symptoms. As a result, it is proposed that consuming foods rich in vitamin D or using vitamin D supplements might be beneficial for these patients.
The study focused on nearly 500 psoriasis cases from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), and it revealed a direct link between lower vitamin D levels (measured through blood tests) and higher psoriasis severity. While synthetic vitamin D creams are emerging as potential therapies for psoriasis, they usually require a prescription. The findings suggest that a diet rich in vitamin D or oral vitamin D supplementation could also be advantageous for psoriasis patients.
The research, presented at the NUTRITION 2023 annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, was led by Eunyoung Cho, an associate professor at the Department of Dermatology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. The team explored the role of nutrition and environmental factors in skin diseases like psoriasis, considering that vitamin D may influence these conditions by affecting the body’s immune response and the cells involved in skin repair.
The study involved 491 psoriasis cases from the NHANES database, and after adjusting for lifestyle factors, it found that lower vitamin D levels and vitamin D deficiency were significantly associated with more severe psoriasis. Patients with less affected body surface area by psoriasis tended to have higher average vitamin D levels, while those with more affected areas had lower average vitamin D levels.
The research adds valuable and up-to-date information to the connection between vitamin D and psoriasis, as previous studies had a smaller sample size. However, the researchers advise individuals with psoriasis to consult their physicians and dermatologists before starting any vitamin D supplementation, as dietary vitamin D toxicity is rare.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about psoriasis severity
What is the main finding of the study?
The main finding of the study is that there is a correlation between lower vitamin D levels and increased severity of psoriasis.
How many people in the U.S. are affected by psoriasis?
Over eight million people in the U.S. suffer from psoriasis.
What kind of research was conducted in the study?
The study involved analyzing nearly 500 psoriasis cases from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
How might vitamin D help psoriasis patients?
The research suggests that a vitamin D-rich diet or oral vitamin D supplementation could potentially benefit psoriasis patients by easing the severity of the condition.
Who led the research team?
The research team was led by Eunyoung Cho, ScD, an associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
What impact does vitamin D have on skin diseases?
Vitamin D is believed to influence the development of skin diseases by affecting the body’s immune response and having direct effects on the cells involved in skin repair.
When were the findings presented?
The findings were presented at NUTRITION 2023, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held in July 2023 in Boston.
What advice did the researchers give about vitamin D supplementation?
The researchers advise people with psoriasis to consult their physicians and dermatologists before taking vitamin D supplements, as dietary vitamin D toxicity is rare.
More about psoriasis severity
- “New Study: Vitamin D Could Ease Psoriasis Severity” (Original Text)
- American Academy of Dermatology Association – Psoriasis: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/psoriasis
- National Psoriasis Foundation: https://www.psoriasis.org/
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University: https://medicine.brown.edu/dermatology/
- NUTRITION 2023 Conference: [Link not provided in the original text]
- American Society for Nutrition: https://nutrition.org/
4 comments
Great study! vitD is so imp for our health. skin diseases r no joke, glad they exploring new ways to help ppl. i’m def gonna look into my vitd levels now! thx for sharing! #health #vitaminD
wow, this is really cool stuff. vitamind helping with psoriasis? signmeup! but gotta ask doc first, dontwannamessup. psoriasis is a big prob for many, glad they researching!
psoriasis can be real pain, i know ppl dealing wit it. so intresting how vitd playin role. but watch out, dont go crazy wit supplements. talk2urdoc first! stay safe, stayhealthy!
omg! 8million ppl sufferin frm psoriasis! thas a lot! good thing they found connection wit vitd. maybe i’ll try more vitd foods, could help my skin probs too?