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Vitamin D deficiency disrupts thymus function and immune tolerance, triggering autoimmune diseases by allowing self-reactive T cells to escape into the bloodstream.
Vitamin D enhances both innate and adaptive immunity by boosting antimicrobial peptides, suppressing inflammatory responses and promoting regulatory T cells that maintain immune balance.
Beyond immune function, vitamin D supports muscle health, helps prevent neurodegenerative conditions and plays a role in metabolic processes and insulin sensitivity.
Sunlight is the optimal source of vitamin D, but exposure should be carefully managed, especially for those consuming seed oils, which oxidise under UV light.
Regular vitamin D testing is recommended, with optimal levels between 60 to 80 ng/ml. Supplementation may be necessary when sunlight exposure is insufficient.
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You might already know that vitamin D is essential for bone health, but its role in preventing autoimmune diseases is gaining significant attention. Recent research reveals that a lack of vitamin D disrupts the very foundation of your immune system, making you more susceptible to conditions where your body mistakenly attacks its own tissues.1
This connection is rooted in your thymus, a small but mighty organ responsible for training your immune cells to distinguish between self and non-self. When vitamin D signalling is impaired, your thymus undergoes premature ageing and fails to properly educate T cells, leading to a breakdown in immune tolerance. Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels therefore supports your body’s ability to prevent and manage autoimmune disorders.
Table of Contents
Your Thymus Is Your Immune System’s Training Ground
Your thymus is a pivotal organ in your immune system, acting as the training ground where T-cells mature and learn to differentiate between harmful invaders and your body’s own cells. This process, known as central tolerance, is essential for preventing autoimmune diseases, where the immune system erroneously targets healthy tissues.
Your thymus facilitates this by presenting various self-antigens to developing T-cells through specialised cells called medullary thymic epithelial cells (“mTECs”). A key player in this process is the autoimmune regulator (“Aire”), a transcription factor that ensures mTECs display a wide variety of self-antigens. However, when vitamin D signalling is compromised, as seen in vitamin D deficiency, the expression of Aire and these self-antigens diminishes.
This reduction hampers your thymus’ ability to eliminate self-reactive T-cells, allowing them to enter your bloodstream and attack your own organs, thereby increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases.2
How Vitamin D Deficiency Accelerates Thymic Ageing
Imagine your thymus as a bustling workshop where immune cells are meticulously trained. Vitamin D acts as a supervisor in this workshop, ensuring that the training processes run smoothly. A study published in Science Advances investigated the effects of vitamin D deficiency on the thymus using mice genetically engineered to lack the enzyme Cyp27b1, which is essential for producing the active form of vitamin D.3
These vitamin D-deficient mice exhibited significantly smaller thymuses with a marked reduction in Aire-expressing mTECs. The deficiency led to impaired expression of tissue-restricted antigens (“TRAs”), which are important for teaching T-cells self-tolerance. As a result, the thymuses of these mice aged prematurely, showing accelerated involution and decreased expression of factors that promote thymic longevity.4
This premature ageing not only diminishes the thymus’s capacity to produce new, properly functioning T-cells but also compromises the overall integrity of your immune system, making it harder to fend off autoimmune attacks.
Linking Vitamin D Levels to Autoimmune Disease Risk
The connection between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases extends beyond laboratory mice – it has profound implications for human health. Conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis have been epidemiologically linked to low vitamin D levels.
The study’s findings provide a molecular explanation for these associations: insufficient vitamin D impairs the thymus’ ability to enforce immune tolerance by reducing Aire expression and TRA gene transcription.5 This impairment allows self-reactive T-cells to escape into the bloodstream, where they can attack healthy tissues. In vitamin D-deficient people, the compromised central tolerance increases the likelihood of developing autoimmune conditions.
Moreover, the study showed that vitamin D deficiency not only affects the thymus’ cellularity but also alters the differentiation pathways of thymic epithelial cells, further exacerbating the risk of autoimmunity. These insights highlight the importance of maintaining adequate vitamin D levels as a preventive measure against the onset and progression of autoimmune diseases.
Broader Immunomodulatory Roles of Vitamin D
Beyond its function in preventing autoimmune diseases, vitamin D plays a multifaceted role in regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses.6 Nearly all immune cells, including T-cells, B-cells, macrophages and dendritic cells, express the vitamin D receptor (“VDR”), highlighting its pervasive influence on immune function.
Vitamin D enhances your body’s first line of defence by boosting the production of antimicrobial peptides like cathelicidin and defensins, which directly attack pathogens. Simultaneously, it modulates adaptive immunity by suppressing proinflammatory T helper 1 (“Th1”) and T helper 17 (“Th17”) responses, which are often implicated in chronic inflammatory conditions.
Conversely, vitamin D promotes regulatory T-cells (“Tregs”) that maintain immune tolerance and prevent excessive inflammatory reactions. This dual action ensures a balanced immune response, capable of effectively combating infections while minimising your risk of autoimmune flare-ups.
By maintaining this equilibrium, adequate vitamin D levels support overall immune health, making it a key nutrient not just for bone integrity but for comprehensive immune system regulation as well.
Vitamin D and Allergic Diseases
Vitamin D’s immunomodulatory prowess also extends to the area of allergic diseases, where it plays a significant role in mitigating allergic responses.7 Allergic conditions such as asthma, atopic dermatitis and food allergies are characterised by an overactive immune response to harmless environmental antigens. Vitamin D helps regulate this by skewing your immune system away from the Th2-mediated pathways that drive allergic inflammation.
It does so by enhancing the production of anti-inflammatory cytokines and promoting the function of Tregs, which suppress inappropriate immune reactions. Additionally, vitamin D influences mast cell stability, reducing the release of histamine and other inflammatory mediators that cause allergy symptoms. Clinical studies have shown that adequate vitamin D levels correlate with reduced severity of allergic reactions and a lower incidence of asthma exacerbations in children.8
Moreover, vitamin D supplementation has been effective in alleviating symptoms of pollen-induced allergies, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent in managing and preventing allergic diseases.9 By modulating the immune response, vitamin D helps maintain a balanced state, preventing the hyperreactivity that underlies allergic conditions.
Vitamin D’s Role in Infectious Disease Defence
In the ongoing battle against infectious diseases, vitamin D emerges as an ally in enhancing your body’s defence mechanisms. Vitamin D fortifies your immune system by stimulating the production of antimicrobial peptides, which are essential for neutralising a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and fungi.
For instance, during infections, immune cells like macrophages convert inactive vitamin D to its active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which then triggers the synthesis of cathelicidin and defensins.10 These peptides disrupt the integrity of microbial membranes, effectively killing invading pathogens. Furthermore, vitamin D modulates your immune response to prevent excessive inflammation that can lead to tissue damage.11
This is particularly evident in respiratory infections, where adequate vitamin D levels are associated with a reduced risk of acute respiratory tract infections and a milder course of illnesses like covid-19.12
Studies also suggest that vitamin D supplementation enhances the efficacy of antibiotics and reduces the duration of infections.13 By bolstering both the innate and adaptive arms of your immune system, vitamin D plays a vital role in defending against infectious agents and maintaining overall health.
Vitamin D in Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Health
Vitamin D’s benefits extend into the neurological and metabolic domains, where it contributes to the prevention and management of neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases.14 In your brain, vitamin D supports neuronal health by regulating calcium homeostasis, reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting the formation of harmful protein aggregates associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Its neuroprotective effects are further enhanced by its ability to modulate inflammatory responses within your central nervous system, thereby preventing excessive neuronal damage. In the area of metabolism, vitamin D plays a pivotal role in maintaining insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism.
Deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to an increased risk of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes, as it influences the function of pancreatic beta cells and the regulation of insulin secretion.15
Additionally, vitamin D helps modulate lipid metabolism, reducing the risk of obesity and related metabolic disorders. Research also reveals a connection between adequate vitamin D levels and a lower incidence of certain cancers, as vitamin D influences cellular proliferation and apoptosis.16 By supporting both neurological function and metabolic processes, vitamin D serves as a cornerstone for maintaining comprehensive health and preventing a range of chronic diseases.
Vitamin D and Muscle Health in Autoimmune Rheumatic Diseases
Beyond its pivotal role in immune regulation, vitamin D significantly impacts muscle health, particularly in the context of autoimmune rheumatic diseases.17 Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (“RA”), systemic lupus erythematosus (“SLE”) and idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (“IIMs”) often involve muscle weakness, fatigue and sarcopenia – loss of muscle mass and strength.
Recent studies have highlighted a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency in patients with these diseases, correlating with diminished muscle function and increased disease activity.18 For instance, individuals with RA and SLE exhibiting low serum vitamin D levels tend to experience reduced muscle strength, heightened pain and greater fatigue.
This deficiency exacerbates muscle inflammation and impairs muscle regeneration, further compromising physical function and quality of life.
Vitamin D facilitates muscle health by enhancing mitochondrial function, promoting muscle cell regeneration and modulating inflammatory pathways. In IIMs, vitamin D deficiency is associated with elevated muscle enzymes and decreased regulatory T-cells, which are necessary for controlling autoimmune responses.
Maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may therefore not only support immune tolerance but also protect against muscle deterioration, offering a dual benefit for people battling autoimmune rheumatic diseases.
Clinical studies suggest that restoring optimal vitamin D levels alleviates muscle weakness, reduces fatigue and decreases inflammation in patients with conditions like RA and SLE.
For example, supplementation in RA patients has been linked to improved muscle strength and reduced prevalence of sarcopenia, while in SLE, it may help mitigate disease activity and enhance overall physical function. Additionally, vitamin D’s ability to modulate immune responses makes it a valuable adjunct therapy for controlling autoimmune flare-ups and preventing long-term tissue damage.19
Embrace Sunlight as Your Primary Source of Vitamin D
Maximising your vitamin D levels through appropriate sun exposure is highly advisable, as it provides advantages beyond mere vitamin D synthesis. Elevated vitamin D levels often reflect healthy sunlight exposure, which contributes to numerous health benefits traditionally linked to vitamin D, such as lowering cancer risk and promoting longevity.
Consistent exposure to sunlight also enhances melatonin production, a potent anticancer compound. However, while sunlight is key for vitamin D production and overall health, it poses risks if not approached cautiously. The essential balance lies in protecting yourself while still enjoying the benefits.
If your diet is rich in seed oils, you should exercise extra caution with sun exposure. These oils contain high levels of linoleic acid (“LA”), an omega-6 fatty acid that easily oxidises when exposed to ultraviolet (“UV”) light. When sunlight interacts with skin laden with these oils, it triggers their breakdown, resulting in inflammation and DNA damage.
Therefore, it’s advisable to limit sun exposure to earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon if you’ve been consuming these oils, ideally abstaining until you’ve eliminated seed oils for four to six months. Additionally, your unique physical traits play a significant role in how you interact with the sun. Skin colour, determined by melanin levels, is a key factor.
Melanin serves as a natural barrier against UV rays, meaning individuals with darker skin tones require more sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as those with lighter skin. This biological difference underscores the importance of personalised sun exposure strategies.
Personalised Sun Safety: Protecting Your Health
Your body composition, especially your body fat percentage, is another vital consideration. Adipose tissue stores fat-soluble substances, including oxidised seed oils. People with higher body fat may need to be more vigilant, as these stored oils extend the period of risk even after dietary adjustments.
To evaluate your sun exposure, particularly if you consume seed oils, keep an eye on your skin for redness or burning – a simple “sunburn test” that factors in the season, your skin type and other variables. If your skin doesn’t show any pinkness, it’s a good indication that your sun exposure was safe. Always strive to prevent sunburn, as it signals overexposure and skin damage.
Reducing your body’s LA stores significantly lowers your chances of sunburn and skin cancer. Nonetheless, it remains important to be cautious with sun exposure, especially during the adjustment phase. As you decrease seed oil intake, avoid peak sunlight hours – typically an hour before and after solar noon.
In most US regions during summer, this means staying out of direct sunlight from 11 am to 3 pm during Daylight Saving Time, or 10 am to 2 pm in Standard Time. Gradually, as your body eliminates accumulated seed oils, you may safely increase your sun exposure, eventually enjoying an hour or more of peak sunlight.
Remember, individual skin responses vary, so pay attention to how your body reacts during this transition. The goal is to prevent sunburn, a clear sign of skin damage. If you notice any redness, seek shade immediately. By managing your sun exposure thoughtfully, you’re taking an important step toward maintaining your health.
Tips for Natural Sun Protection
If you need to be in the sun before your body has fully cleared seed oils, consider implementing protective measures. One effective recommendation is astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant derived from certain marine organisms. Taking 12 milligrams of astaxanthin daily bolsters your skin’s resistance to sun damage by neutralising free radicals and reducing inflammation, thereby providing extra protection against UV radiation.
Another valuable tool is niacinamide cream, also known as vitamin B3. Topically applying niacinamide has been shown to protect against UV-induced DNA damage and strengthen your skin’s barrier, making it more resilient to sun exposure stressors. Many have experienced significant improvements by using niacinamide cream before sun exposure.
Here’s an unexpected tip: taking a baby aspirin 30 to 60 minutes before sun exposure may reduce your risk of skin cancer. Aspirin inhibits the conversion of LA in your skin into harmful compounds called OXLAMs (oxidised linoleic acid metabolites), which are major contributors to skin cancer and various other cancers. By preventing OXLAM formation, aspirin adds an extra layer of defence against sun damage.
Molecular hydrogen (H2) is another potent protector against sun damage and the harmful effects of seed oils. This molecule works at the cellular level to reduce oxidative stress by neutralising free radicals, particularly the highly reactive hydroxyl radical. H2’s ability to penetrate cell membranes allows it to directly target sources of inflammation and oxidative damage without disrupting beneficial reactive oxygen species (“ROS”), maintaining your body’s oxidative balance.
Additionally, molecular hydrogen boosts energy levels and enhances recovery, making it an invaluable addition to your regimen for supporting cellular health against environmental stressors like sun exposure and dietary challenges from seed oils.
Supplementing When Sunlight Isn’t Enough
If obtaining sufficient sunlight isn’t feasible, vitamin D supplements might be necessary. Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are widespread globally, affecting between 40% to 100% of the population.20 The current threshold for deficiency (less than 20 ng/ml) is considered inadequate for optimal health and disease prevention, indicating that even more people may have suboptimal vitamin D levels.
To determine your ideal sun exposure or supplementation dosage, have your vitamin D levels measured twice a year. After testing, adjust your sun exposure or vitamin D3 supplementation accordingly and retest in three to four months to ensure you’ve reached your target level. The optimal range for health and disease prevention is between 60 to 80 ng/ml (150 to 200 nmol/l), with sufficiency beginning around 40 ng/ml (100 nmol/l in Europe).
Regular testing and adjustments will help you maintain ideal vitamin D levels, ensuring you reap the full health benefits while minimising risks. By proactively managing your vitamin D levels, you’ll experience a more resilient and balanced immune system, offering protection against the complexities of autoimmune complications and other chronic diseases.
Sources and References
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Science Advances September 25, 2024, Vol 10, Issue 39
- 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2024 Jul-Aug;18(4):1–4
- 17, 18, 19 Nutrients. 2024 Jul 19;16(14):2329
- 20 Endocr Pract. 2021 Mar 17;27(5):484–493, Introduction
About the Author
Dr. Joseph Mercola is the founder and owner of Mercola.com, a Board-Certified Family Medicine Osteopathic Physician, a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition and a New York Times bestselling author. He publishes multiple articles a day covering a wide range of topics on his website Mercola.com.
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Not everyone agrees exactly with this (I personally think sunlight is extremely important but vitamin D tablets I’m not convinced totally of).
E.g. “…Vitamin D2 is manufactured using UV irradiation of ergosterol in yeast, and vitamin D3 is produced with irradiation of 7-dehydrocholesterol from lanolin..” (Holick et al., 2011). Irradiation? Well, if you’re fine with that, I’m not so sure.
Pam Popper, PhD, from “Wellness Forum Health” says, “I’ve pointed out that studies – a few hundred of them – continue to show that vitamin D levels drop when a person is sick and rise again as the person recovers. In other words, the deficiency is caused by the illness. The lower vitamin D levels have nothing to do with the development of the illness and taking vitamin D won’t prevent or help to resolve disease. Lower vitamin D levels are simply a marker for poor health and not a cause of it…” (2:20) and goes on to mention several of the results of various studies.
Anyone who minuses my comment has the freedom to go to her forum and tell her to hand back her PhD and that she “definitely must be wrong”.
Yes, I have recently been made aware of this information by the work of Jim Stephenson Jr, as a nurse I find it fascinating!
I agree, but here in the UK the sun was non existent this year and when it did ‘shine’ the geoengineering made sure we just saw thick streaks of abnormal clouds (really bad where i live in yorkshire, never seen it so muggy) and 2 weeks holidays overseas is not enough
Hi vaboon,
Noticed there is massive Chemtrailing over Yorkshire UK.
It is in the X pattern, so they intend to blot out the Sun again.
Saturday 14 Dec.
https://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=249285
A dangerous statement.
How can she come to that conclusion? To say that vitamin D levels fall during illness means only that the levels fall. And that’s all it means. To say that it has nothing to do with the disease just on the basis of the conclusion that it falls is going too far. If a decrease is observed, what happens to the amount of the missing vitamin? Where is it sent and what is it used for? It could also mean that the increase is due to a higher production of vitamin D after the illness. Besides, what levels is she talking about? It was 30 during the illness and then increased to 50 which is still a deficit?
Were the observations made on people whose vitamin D levels were tested before the illness? Or only during and after the illness? Let her say what was observed in people who have levels of 80-100.
Bathe in the sun at every opportunity. Avoid burning. 😎 Late in the evening, it’s safe and beneficial to sungaze with the naked eye ☀️
The sun always shines on the Mersey!?
Up here in the Outer Hebrides, we are now getting barely 6 hours of daylight. The sun only appears at very brief spasmodic intervals-awful.
As a kid I was always told not to look directly at the sun; strange advice considering most believe it to be 93,000,000 miles away!
Regardless, the sun (on a cloudless day!) the Scripture says of it; nothing is hid from the heat thereof. Psalm 19:6.
How many houses have caught on fire because a glass of a magnifying kind was left on a table, or elsewhere, directing the sun’s rays on to a fabric/curtain?
Hi Islander,
You just reminded me.
I worked in an office where we used hand held magnifying glass.
It usually went in the pencil holder near the window, before Chemtrailing.
One afternoon the pencil holder started smoking.
When we worked out what had caused it, the Magnifier went in the drawer.
That was 20 years ago, it still lives in the drawer.
[…] Vitamin D and autoimmune diseases; a deficiency disrupts the foundation of our immune systems […]
I think this is again one of these statistics numbers, like so many others. Everyone nowadays is considered low in vit. D. I recently read that D2 is not the right one it has to be D3. So why is D2 added to milk? Has someone in big pharma or govt a company that produces D vitamins? The ones I have at home are made in… you guessed it, China. Do we trust that? The moment doctors can measure something, all of a sudden everyone has a shortage, or needs to take meds to lower it (sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol) only to find out a few years later, after taking gazillions of pills, that what first was consider good is now considered wrong. Recently studies showed that people with higher cholesterol live longer than those with lower… so do you want to be a number in the statistics or listen to your body, that feels fine?
Eat as much fat as you can! Also don’t buy any “reduced fat” products in the shops/supermarkets-we need more fat and cholesterol as you assert.
It’s astounding how many people errantly believe that eating less ‘fatty’ foods equates to having a slimmer figure..more fat, more health.
Hi Rhoda,
As far as I am aware, we cannot overdose on vitamins.
So multivitamin tablets might be a good start to the day.
I take plenty because they Chemtrail over Yorkshire on a regular basis.
Just like vaboon has mentioned.
Has everyone viewed the show— Diamond and Silk the Antidote— it helped save me due to novocaine from the dentist’s office when having a tooth pulled, mRNA is in the novocaine, EDTA, glutathione, vitamin C, and apple juice for four days, it gave me myocarditis but all better now.
[…] Fonte: https://expose-news.com/2024/12/12/vitamin-d-and-autoimmune-diseases/ […]
Exposure to the sun in order to obtain the daily dose of vit D must be carried out for at least half an hour with exposure to the sun your back or front of the body, i.e. where the internal organs are. it should be exposure to the sun, not sunbathing. It has to be between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. It is the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays. At later times, you will not get 100% vit D. Even when sunbathing for a few hours.
The drugs industry want sick people, because that’s profitable and it’s probably for this reason that there have been so many chemtrails and the weirdest endless high cloud days for month now in the UK. No sunshine, or as little as possible and that’ll generate more sick people. Really neat now that there’s more and more advertising for getting private medical insurance, but of course, that’s just coincidental, nothing to do with the purposeful destruction of the NHS and the outsourcing to private companies of so many of its facilities…that’s not privatisation, you’re imagining things..
I get extremely ill taking any vitamin D, even baby organic D, one drop under my tongue makes me vomit, sleepy and have night terrors!! Having many tests and blood work, I was diagnosed with hypercalcemia 6 months ago, ultrasound on my thyroid and parathyroids, they didn’t find anything except healthy organs. They still wanted to go in and take something out!! NOT!
3 endocrinologists can’t agree on anything. One told me don’t have surgery, I’ll need to take Vitamin D and calcium daily and I can’t take either. My calcium is very high, my vitamin D is very low. I have a lipoma tumor between the spheres of my brain and shrapnel coming out of my face for the past 7 years from an accident!
No one acknowledges the whole picture. I’m surrounded by specialist that can’t get the whole picture. I just need to know how to eat right and move back to where the sun shines 365 days a year, St Pete, Fl! I moved close to Cleveland to care for my 98 yr old mom 5 yrs ago! She’s doing amazing!!
How should I eat? Does uvb rays on a lizard lamps really work for vit D? I need answers, It’s not my time to die! Thank you for your help! I will try to donate to your website, money is tight these days!