Don’t Risk Vitamin D Deficiency

Malnutrition
is a common side effect of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The
damage CrohnÂ’s, ulcerative colitis, and other bowel diseases
inflict upon the intestinal tract makes it nearly impossible for
proper absorption of essential vitamins and minerals the human body
requires to thrive.

More than a
million people are believed to suffer from IBD in the United States
alone, yet it is still not well understood and treatment options
are limited. This, combined with the prevalence and severity of
the disease, has led it to be the subject of a great deal of advanced
clinical research.

The Connection
Between IBD and Bone Loss

One study,
Â“Vitamin
D Deficiency and Abnormal DEXA scans in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Patients,Â” was presented at the 75th Annual Scientific
meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology. The study expands
upon previous investigations which have shown vitamin D deficiency
to be common among IBD patients. This knowledge led researchers
to analyze the connection between bowel disease and other conditions,
such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, which typically stem from poor
vitamin D uptake.

Over a period
of two years, the research team measured the bone density of 161
documented IBD patients, ranging from ages 10 to 70 years old. They
found that almost a quarter of all patients showed sufficient enough
loss of bone density to qualify for a diagnosis of either osteoporosis
or osteopenia. Nearly one-half of those patients with signs of bone
loss were less than 50 years old.

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May
29, 2012