Vit D, the gut and food allergies

[Gabes-Apg]

This story got a bit of coverage here in Aus over the past week or so.

Not sure if those outside of Aus can use the link so i have posted the content of the story
(if the link doesnt work, if you go into google, news, and type 'Vit D allergies' you will be able to access any articles published in your local papers)

http://www.abc.net.au/health/features/s ... 710140.htm


Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a range of health issues from poor bone health to heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.

Now Australian researchers have found a new connection: children with vitamin D deficiency are at an increased risk of food allergies.

Allergy rates have massively increased over the past 20 years. In Australia, food allergies are of particular concern with studies finding one in 10 children under 12 months of age is affected.

In new research, a team led by Professor Katie Allen, paediatric gastroenterologist, allergist and researcher with Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI), found children deficient in vitamin D are three times more likely to have a food allergy. They are also more likely to have multiple food allergies.
"This study provides the first direct evidence that vitamin D sufficiency may be an important protective factor for food allergy in the first year of life; this adds supporting evidence for medical correction of low vitamin D levels," Allen says.

The rise in food allergy runs parallel with increased prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy (and in the community generally), but it's not clear if this is a cause or if other factors occurring during the child's first year of life are to blame.

Inadequate exposure to sunlight, rather than diet, is the most common cause of low vitamin D levels as vitamin D is present in only very low amounts in most foods.

The new findings are based on a study of more than 5000 children and confirm earlier research showing the further you live from the equator the more likely you are to have food allergy.

Interestingly, it appears the link between vitamin D and food allergy was found only in children whose parents were born in Australia, leading researchers to speculate that genetic factors, such as parents' ethnicity, may also play a role.

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All about the gut

People with food allergies have an immune system that tends to overreact to substances that would ordinarily be considered benign, such as a peanut.

Allen says vitamin D is integral to the development of a healthy immune system in early life.

"We think the vitamin D story is very important in making sure that the defences of the intestinal gut are trained properly in a healthy way," Allen says.

But research conducted by Allen and her colleagues suggests vitamin D is just one of several factors involved in "an interplay between the microbes in the gut and the way the immune system adapts to what it is going to attack and what it's going to accept".

Development of healthy gut bacteria, through early exposure to microbes, infections and parasites, along with exposure to allergens through early infant feeding are believed to play a role.

"We think it is all tied together: your genetic risk; what bugs you're carrying; and then what you do with your diet and sunlight exposure, in relation to vitamin D; and allergen exposure, in terms of early diet. It's all about training your gut through these critical areas."

Allen's colleague, Associate Professor Mimi Tang has looked at links between exposure to bacteria and allergic illness in early life. In one study, she found infants exposed to a wide variety of microbial bacteria in the first seven days of life were less likely to have eczema when they were 12 months old.

"This research suggests that altering the mix and amount of bacteria in our guts in early life could be an effective approach to the prevention of eczema, especially for those with an increased risk of developing allergic disease," Tang says.

Before birth, a baby's gut is sterile. But during their first few days of life they develop essential gut bacteria. A number of factors affect this process including whether a baby was delivered vaginally or by Caesarean; if they were breastfed or fed on formula; what contact they had with parents, siblings and hospital staff; and whether they were given antibiotics.

While Tang's not suggesting parents put newborn babies in the dirt to play, in her view allowing young children and older babies to play around in the dirt is probably not a bad thing.

Evidence has also found factors, such as having older siblings and pets, help reduce the risk of developing allergies.

Allen agrees: "We have evidence that dog ownership and a large family protect from egg allergies, and certainly also know it is something to do with the modern [urban] lifestyle as people who live in the country are less likely to have food allergies."

[tex]

Hi Gabes,

Interesting article.

Interestingly, it appears the link between vitamin D and food allergy was found only in children whose parents were born in Australia, leading researchers to speculate that genetic factors, such as parents' ethnicity, may also play a role.

The problem with that assumption is that except for aborigines, everyone else in Australia had immigrant ancestors. IMO, if the influence only reached as far as a one-generation link, then that suggests that the mother's vitamin D level was important, not the fact that she was born in Australia. IOW, mothers who were not born in Australia probably had higher vitamin D levels.

Why? I have a theory about vitamin D, and how humans have evolved over the generations. The theory says that the efficiency of our ability to synthesize vitamin D from cholesterol, with exposure to sunlight, depends on how much sunlight we are exposed to on the average. However, this is a long-term effect, so it takes many years (maybe a lifetime or two) for a significant shift to occur.

IOW, living in a sunny environment over a period of many years causes the body to adapt, resulting in a lower utilization of sunlight to produce vitamin D. This occurs because when the body is continually exposed to excess environmental inputs, it learns to limit them, to suit it's needs. An example of this is the Masai tribesmen of Africa. With all their exposed skin, and dark color, and all the sun exposure they get tending cattle all day in the burning sun, if they produced vitamin D at the same rate of efficiency as the average Caucasian, their average 25(OH)D level would probably be around 500 ng/mL. Instead, typical values run from around 50 to 70 ng/mL. Clearly,their body compensates for the abnormally high sun exposure (compared with Europeans, for example).

When immigrants arrive in OZ, most of them are exposed to more sun than they are accustomed to. Right? So their body adapts, over the decades. Newer immigrants, however, haven't had sufficient time for their vitamin D conversion efficiency to change as much, so they continue to produce more vitamin D from the same amount of sun exposure, (when compared with descendants of earlier immigrants).

To further complicate the issue, in recent years, because of widespread lifestyle changes, (and due to being constantly warned about skin cancer by their doctors), on the average, people don't get enough sun exposure these days, in order to produce enough vitamin D. So the descendents of earlier immigrants to OZ are now unable to produce enough vitamin D, because their production efficiency has been altered by the sun exposure of previous generations. Perhaps in the future, their body (or their descendents) will reverse the changes, and begin to produce vitamin D more efficiently.

Or maybe I'm all wet.

Allen agrees: "We have evidence that dog ownership and a large family protect from egg allergies, and certainly also know it is something to do with the modern [urban] lifestyle as people who live in the country are less likely to have food allergies."

Does that infer that dog owners are carrying some sort of dog parasite that protects them from egg allergies?

And are they saying that those of us who have lived in the country all our life are carrying no-telling-what types of parasites to protect us from allergies? If so, why do I have so many allergies and food sensitivities?

Thanks for the link. It's good to see a post from you — it's been so long that I was beginning to worry that might've been hit by a road train or something.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

He he re the road train! not quite although it did feel like that a bit.

Work/life has been busy, also have had to spend the last 5 weeks recovering from the recent house move, the adrenals and the ankle ligaments took a bit of a hit from the move and i had quite a bit of inflammation that has taken quite a bit of nuturing to eliminate.
(as I dont own a laptop or ipad, my computer time has been quite limited)

The study itself may have it's floors (as most studies do!!! )

I suppose the key part I thought the group would be interested in, that Vit D3 supplementation is important where there are multiple intolerances.
and why so many get improvement health wise when their Vit D3 levels improve.

[Lesley]

Interesting post.
My D level is 32, so I might need to add more than the 4000 or so I am taking. Thoughts? Gabes? Tex?

[tex]

I take 4,500 IU in the summer months and 6,500 IU in the winter months.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

Even though i am in Sunny Aus...

I am 2000 - 3000iu per day when i am well (no inflammation)

up to 5000 - 8000iu per day when there is inflammation and/or gerd occuring.


Mindful- i am using sublingual liquid that is absorbed through the tongue.
You need good Vit D3 levels in the cells of your body to absorb all nutrients/supplements through your gut. If the Vit D3 is low in the body, and/or your gut is inflammed and you are taking liquid/tablet Vit D3 that has to be absorbed through your gut - you may will not be absorbing the full dosage of what you are taking.

[Lesley]

Thanks guys. I am taking drops. Next time I will get the sublingual one. It can go together with the vit B.