Does Vitamin D Impact the Microbiome?

Check out this answer from Consensus:

The collective evidence suggests that Vitamin D significantly impacts the gut microbiome, influencing its composition, diversity, and specific bacterial populations. These changes can potentially improve gut health and modulate immune responses. However, more extensive and well-designed studies are needed to fully understand the extent and mechanisms of Vitamin D’s effects on the microbiome.

Vitamin D is known for its role in bone health, but recent research suggests it may also influence the gut microbiome, which is crucial for various physiological functions including immune regulation and metabolism. This synthesis examines the impact of Vitamin D on the gut microbiome based on multiple research studies.

Key Insights

• Vitamin D and Microbiome Composition:
  • Vitamin D supplementation is associated with changes in the gut microbiome, particularly affecting the Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes phyla2 5 7.
  • Increased levels of Vitamin D are linked to higher abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Akkermansia and Bifidobacterium, and a decrease in potentially pathogenic bacteria like Enterobacteriaceae5 7 9.
• Microbiome Diversity:
  • Vitamin D supplementation can increase gut microbial diversity, which is generally considered beneficial for gut health5 6.
  • High doses of Vitamin D3 specifically affect the microbiome in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract, with notable changes in the upper GI tract8.
• Impact on Specific Bacterial Genera:
  • Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to increase the abundance of Lachnospira and decrease Blautia in the gut3.
  • In Vitamin D receptor knockout mice, there is a depletion of Lactobacillus and an enrichment of Clostridium and Bacteroides, indicating the importance of the Vitamin D receptor in maintaining a balanced microbiome10.
• Vitamin D and Gut Homeostasis:
  • Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining gut homeostasis and modulating the immune response, which can be disrupted by Vitamin D deficiency4.
  • Vitamin D deficiency is associated with alterations in the gut microbiota that may promote inflammation and other pathological conditions6 9.

Does Vitamin D impact the microbiome?

Jun Sun has answered Likely

An expert from University of Illinois at Chicago in Gastroenterology

The status of Vitamin D and its receptor vitamin D receptor impacts microbiome. Vitamin D supplements are shown to change the profile of gut microbiome. In a 4-week long vitamin D intervention for vitamin D deficient Crohn’s disease patients in remission, there were changes in bacterial abundance following supplementation, without an effect in healthy controls. In this study, oral vitamin D administration was given with cholecalciferol 20 000 IU daily from day 1 until day 3, then every other day for a total of 4 weeks.

The effects of vitamin D supplements may depend on an individual’s health status. 

Does Vitamin D impact the microbiome?

Bernard Corfe has answered Uncertain

An expert from University of Sheffield in Oncology, Gastroenterology, Pharmacology

A small study published in IBD patients in 2018 showed no impact of vitamin D on the microbiome.