Inflammation develops when a person’s immune system feels that it’s needed and sends inflammatory cells to the place that’s believed to be in danger, which can produce discomfort and swelling as well as potential damage, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Chronic inflammation arises when this occurs regularly, even when the body isn’t in need of an immune response. A recent study suggests that controlling the quantities of one particular vitamin could help resolve this problem.

According to research, there are some foods that can help reduce inflammation while others can actually make it worse. Because of this, those who suffer from chronic inflammation may want to try to stay away from items like specific vegetable oils and diets heavy in refined carbohydrates. In addition, they might want to check that they are getting enough vitamin D, as a study revealed that it might be beneficial to take a supplement for anyone who experiences chronic inflammation.

Researchers looked at genetic information from the U.K. Biobank addressing the health and way of life of 294,970 participants who were of White-British ancestry throughout the study, which was published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

The analysis’s authors discovered that participants with vitamin D deficiencies had greater levels of C-reactive protein, a protein linked to inflammation.

According to main researcher Dr. Ang Zhou of UniSA, “high levels of C-reactive protein are formed by the liver in reaction to inflammation, thus when your body is suffering chronic inflammation, it also exhibits greater amounts of C-reactive protein.”

On the other hand, scientists found that people with high vitamin D levels had decreased inflammatory markers.

According to Zhou’s research, there is a one-way association between low vitamin D levels and high C-reactive protein levels, which is manifested as inflammation. Vitamin D supplementation may assist those with deficiency minimize chronic inflammation and a host of linked disorders.

Jesse Feder, RDN, CSCS at My Crohn’s and Colitis Team, discusses how vitamin D might lessen the intensity of inflammation with Eat This, Not That! Vitamin D is important for controlling immune cells and anti-inflammatory cells that contribute to inflammation.

Low vitamin D levels have been linked to fatigue, mood swings, and muscle weakness. Vitamin D also regulates blood pressure and energy levels.

How to increase your intake of vitamin D

The majority of adults do not consume enough vitamin D; a 2018 study found that 41.6% of American adults are vitamin D deficient, indicating that many could benefit from being more aware of their vitamin D intake. Although exposure to sunlight can help your body make vitamin D, it’s equally crucial to get enough of the nutrient through food and supplements.

You might want to think about include these foods in your diet if you’re interested in raising your vitamin D levels to reduce chronic inflammation.

Increasing the intake of fatty fish like salmon and sardines is one of the greatest ways to raise vitamin D through diet, according to Feder. Additionally, Feder adds, “search for goods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as milk.”

Finally, Feder advises, “you can take a daily vitamin D supplement to enhance your level” if your diet isn’t cutting it.

Naturally, it’s always a good idea to speak with a doctor or nutritionist before you start a supplement regimen or make any significant dietary adjustments to ensure that you’re doing what’s best for your body. They could advise a blood test to see if your vitamin D levels are already within a safe range since if they are, vitamin D supplementation may not have the same anti-inflammatory effects.

Professor Elina Hyppönen, a senior researcher and the director of UniSA’s Australian Centre for Precision Health, told ScienceDaily that while some people appear to benefit little or not at all from increasing their vitamin D concentrations, there has been evidence of health benefits in those with very low levels.