Conclusion Deviant!

Our gut microbiota includes many bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms, which play an important role in our health and disease risks, and these roles are only just beginning to be recognized

Researchers and collaborators at the University of California, San Diego recently demonstrated in elderly men that the composition of the human gut microbiota is related to the level of active vitamin D in their bodies, a hormone that is important for bone health and immunity

This research, published in the journal Nature Communications on November 26, 2020, also reveals a new understanding of vitamin D and its typical measurement methods

Vitamin D can come in several different forms, but standard blood tests only detect one inactive precursor that can be stored by the body

Deborah Kado, MD, director of the Osteoporosis Clinic at the University of California San Diego Health Center and senior author, said: "We were surprised to find that the diversity of the microbiota is closely related to active vitamin D, but not to the precursor form

We generally believe that the greater the diversity of intestinal microbes, the better the health

Kado led the research in collaboration with Dr.

Multiple studies have shown that people with low vitamin D levels are at higher risk of cancer, heart disease, more severe COVID-19 infections, and other diseases

"Our research suggests that this may be because these studies only measured the precursor form of vitamin D, not the active hormone," Kado said.

The research team analyzed the stool and blood samples of 567 men

In addition to discovering the link between vitamin D and the overall activity of microbiota diversity, the researchers also noted that 12 kinds of specific types of bacteria appear more frequently in the active vitamin D-rich intestinal microflora in men

"The gut microbiota is really complex, and it varies from person to person," Jiang said

Because they live in different parts of the country, the study of men exposed to different amounts of sunlight, which is a source of vitamin D

However, the research team unexpectedly discovered that there is no correlation between where men live and their active vitamin D hormone levels

Kado said: "It doesn't matter how much vitamin D you consume through sunlight or supplements, or how much your body can store

Thomas added: "We often find that in medicine, more is not necessarily better

Kado pointed out that this study relies on a single snapshot of the microbes and vitamin D found in the blood and feces of the participants.
These factors will fluctuate over time, depending on a person’s environment, diet, sleep habits, drugs
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According to the research team, more research is needed to better understand the role of bacteria in vitamin D metabolism and determine whether interventions at the microbiome level can be used to enhance current treatments to improve bones and possible Other health outcomes
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Original search: Vitamin D metabolites and the gut microbiome in older men

(Biotech: Wu Song)