Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Hadith Tangestani; Hossein Khosravi Boroujeni; Kurosh Djafarian; Hadi Emamat; Sakineh Shab-Bidar

doi:10.7762/cnr.2021.10.3.181

Articles

Page Path

Review Article

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Hadith Tangestani¹

, Hossein Khosravi Boroujeni²

, Kurosh Djafarian³

, Hadi Emamat⁴

, Sakineh Shab-Bidar⁵

Clinical Nutrition Research 2021;10(3):181-191.
Published online: July 20, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2021.10.3.181

¹Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Nutrition, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr 75146-33196, Iran.

²Menzies Health Institute, School of Medicine, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4222, Australia.

³Department of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran 14155-6117, Iran.

⁴Department of Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran.

⁵Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran 14155-6117, Iran.

Correspondence to Sakineh Shab-Bidar. Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), No 44, Hojjat-dost Alley, Naderi St., Keshavarz Blvd, Tehran 14155-6117, Iran. s_shabbidar@tums.ac.ir

• Received: August 16, 2020 • Revised: June 3, 2021 • Accepted: June 21, 2021

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

12 Views
0 Download
53 Crossref

Full Article

Download PDF

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: ANIMAL STUDIES
VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: HUMAN STUDIES
CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF EVIDENCE
CONCLUSION
NOTES
REFERENCES

ABSTRACT

Recently several studies have attempted to investigate the association between vitamin D and microbiota. However, studies have reported inconsistent results. This narrative review aimed to investigate the potential association between vitamin D and microbiota population in the gut by pooling together the results from observational studies and clinical trials. We considered animal and human studies in this field. Several studies have shown the correlation of vitamin D deficiency with microbiota. Furthermore, interventional studies were emerging that vitamin D change the microbiota composition in which leads to an increase in beneficial bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus while decreases in Firmicutes. Vitamin D could change the microbiota toward decreasing in Firmicutes and increasing in Bacteroidetes. At genera level, vitamin D may connect to some genera of Lachnospiaceae family (e.g., Blautia, Rosburia, Dorea, and Coprococcus). It seems that adequate level of vitamin D is an important factor in improving the composition of the gut microbiota. More studies are needed to confirm possible underling mechanisms.
Keywords: Microbiome; Microbiota; Intestines; Vitamin D

INTRODUCTION

Vitamin D deficiency is described as a public health concern globally, which has health consequences in more than one billion people [1, 2]. Vitamin D is known for its role in calcium-phosphorus homoeostasis and bone metabolism [2]. Recent evidences have shown the association between hypovitaminosis D and autoimmune disorders [3], cancers [4, 5], cardiovascular disease [6], diabetes mellitus [7], and infections [8, 9]. Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency is highly associated with gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and colon cancer [10, 11]. The presence of vitamin D receptor (VDR) in almost every tissue highlights the importance of vitamin D in biological functions. VDR is expressed in many cells, including muscle, intestinal epithelium, kidney and also in the immune cells [12, 13]. As VDR is widely expressed in various immune cells, including B cells, T cells and antigen presenting cells, it may demonstrate the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in different organs such as gut [13].

Human gut is a host of numerous numbers of microorganisms (about 10¹³–10¹⁴) known as microbiota [14]. Evidence has supported the roles of microbiota in human's immunity and metabolism [15]. The microbiota includes bacteria, fungi, archaea, protozoa and viruses that act in the human gut as symbiotic or pathogenic [15, 16]. More than 1,000 different bacterial species have been determined in human gut. The 4 major phyla composed the gut microbiota are at first Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes and then Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria [17]. The alteration in the diversity of gut microbiota, called dysbiosis, can negatively influence gut health. The change in the composition and diversity of gut microbiota depends on many factors like host genetics, environmental factors, diet, antibiotics, pregnancy, and infection [18, 19, 20, 21]. Among these factors, dietary elements responsible for up to 57% changes in gut microbiota [22].

Considering that vitamin D deficiency can cause gastrointestinal disease through its immunomodulatory role, recently, a hypothesis has been suggested on an association between vitamin D and gut microbiota. Recent human and animal investigations have shown that vitamin D could alter microbiota composition through increasing the maintenance of gut homeostasis [23] and decreasing permeability [24]. However, it is not clear how vitamin D could shift gut microbial communities to achieve these goals. Therefore, the present study reviewed the association between vitamin D and gut microbiota composition. The characteristics of studies are presented in details in Tables 1 and 2.

Table 1

Summary of animal studies

Table 1
Author	Population	Sex	Intervention	Duration (day)	Microbiome identification	Results
Jahani et al. [25]	Female and male CD-1 mice	M/F	5,000 IU D3/kg diet	During pregnancy, lactation and 3-mon aged	qRT-PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	VDR expression was 50% higher in the offspring in high vitamin D feeding group.
						Lower vitamin D levels was correlated with increased pro-inflammatory genes expression at 3-mon age, low vitamin D diet fed mice had lower Bacteroides/Prevotella ratio count at PND 21 although this difference disappeared at adulthood.
						Higher level of LPS concentration were seen in vitamin D deficient diet group at adulthood.
Assa et al. [24]	C57BL/6 mice	F	Vitamin D deficient diet	5 wk	qPCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Higher relative quantities of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria: vitamin D deficient mice.
Assa et al. [24]	C57BL/6 mice	F	Vitamin D deficient diet	5 wk	qPCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	After 10-day injection of Citrobacter rodentium, relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria in vitamin D deficient group.
Assa et al. [26]	C57BL/6 mice	F	Vitamin D deficient diet	5 wk	qPCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Higher abundance of Bacteroidetes: vitamin D deficient mice.
Assa et al. [26]	C57BL/6 mice	F	Vitamin D deficient diet	5 wk	qPCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Relative increase in Gammaproteobacteria was observed in infected mice with LF82.
Ooi et al. [23]	Cyp KO & VDR KO C57BL/6 mice	Sex-matched	1.25 mg/100 g diet	NR	qRT-PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Higher abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria and lower bacteria from Firmicutes and Deferribacteres phyla was reported in Cyp KO and VDR KO mice compared with wild-type.

qRT-PCR, quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction; qPCR, quantitative polymerase chain reaction; VDR, vitamin D receptor; PND, postnatal days; LPS, lipopolysaccharides; KO, knockout; Cyp, cytochrome P; rRNA, ribosomal ribonucleic acid; NR, not reported.

Table 2

Summary of interventional and observational human studies

Table 2
Author	Country	Study type	Population	Sex	Number	Dose (IU/day)	Duration (day)	Microbiome identification	Results
Schäffler et al. [27]	Germany	Interventional	Patients with Crohn's disease	M/F	17	20,000 IU daily from day 1 to day 3, then every second day	30	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Grater abundance of Alistipes, Barnesiella, unclassified Porphyromonadaceae, Roseburia, Anaerotruncus, Subdoligranulum and an unclassified Ruminococaceae was seen after vitamin D supplementation.
Garg et al. [28]	London	Interventional	Patients with ulcerative colitis	M/F	25	40,000 IU D3 weekly	60	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Enterobacteriaceae increased significantly after vitamin D supplementation.
Kanhere et al. [29]	USA	Interventional	Adults with cystic fibrosis	M/F	41	50,000 IU D3 weekly	90	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Lactococcus was increased, while Veillonella and Erysipelotrichaceae were decreased.
Sordillo et al. [30]	USA	Interventional	Infants 3–6 mons whose parents had allergies/asthma	M/F	333	4,000 or 400 IU/day D3 + prenatal vitamins	NR	Sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene	Greater levels of Lachnospiraceae/U. Clostridales, higher frequency of Lachnobacterium, and lower frequency of Lactococcus.
Gominak et al. [17]	USA	Interventional	Neurology patient	M/F	90	Individualized dose of vitamin D to guarantee a blood level of 60–80 ng/mL	Over 1,000	NR	NR
Ciubotaru et al. [31]	USA	Interventional	Prediabetes and hypovitaminosis	M/F	115	50,000 IU/week D3	Over 365	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Lower relative abundance of genera belonging to the Lachnospiraceae (e.g., Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Blautia, and Dorea).
Ciubotaru et al. [31]	USA	Interventional	Prediabetes and hypovitaminosis	M/F	115	50,000 IU/week D3	Over 365	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Lower abundance of members of Clostridia class.
Cantarel et al. [3]	USA	Interventional	Women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis	F	-	5,000 IU/day D3	90	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Greater abundance of Faecalibacterium and Enterobacteriaceae, and lower abundance of Ruminococcus.
									MS patients (untreated): higher Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera.
									MS patients (treated by GA): higher Janthinobacterium, lower Eubacterium and Ruminococcus.
Talsness et al. [32]	The Netherlands	Observational	One month old infants	M/F	913	-	-	RT-PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	A significant negative linear trend between maternal vitamin D supplementation and plasma 25(OH) D concentration and Bifidobacterium spp. was seen.
									There was a positive linear trend between quintile groups and Bacteroides fragilis group counts.
									In some breast-fed infants vitamin D supplementation leads to lower abundance of Clostridium difficile.
Luthold et al. [33]	Brazil	Observational	Healthy individual	M/F	150	-	-	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Higher abundance of Provotella and lower abundance of Haemophilus and Veillonella.
Luthold et al. [33]	Brazil	Observational	Healthy individual	M/F	150	-	-	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Lower abundance of Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium.
Mandal et al. [34]	Norway	Observational	Pregnant women	F	60	-	-	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Increased Actinobacteria/Proteobacteria ratio, Actinobacteria/Bacteroidetes ratio, Proteobacteria/Firmicutes ratio, and other Bacteroides.
Thomas et al. [35]	USA	Observational	Older men	M	567	-	-	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Higher levels of 1,25(OH)₂ D were more related to butyrate producing bacteria that are associated with better gut microbial health.
Kassem et al. [36]	USA	Observational	Infants	M/F	580	-	-	PCR targeting 16S rRNA gene	Prenatal and cord blood vitamin D levels were associated with early life (up to 1 mon) gut microbiota.

PCR, polymerase chain reaction; rRNA, ribosomal ribonucleic acid; NR, not reported; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: ANIMAL STUDIES

In a study by Assa et al. [26], a relatively high quantity of Bacteroidetes was found in vitamin D deficient mice. The researchers showed that vitamin D through preserving gut barrier homeostasis and tight-junction building reduces dysbiosis and adherent-invasive Escherichia coli colonization. Assa et al. [24] also reported the similar results in another study in which vitamin D deficient mice were more vulnerable to infectious and predisposed to epithelial barrier dysfunction that leads to increasing gut permeability. Jahani et al. [25] indicated supplementation with vitamin D₃ during pregnancy and lactation had different effects on offspring at different life span. Lower vitamin D levels were related with increased pro-inflammatory genes expression, reduction in VDR at 3-month-aged offspring, lower Bacteroides/Prevotella ratio at day 21 and higher level of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) concentration in adults. In addition, lower bacteria count was reported in the mice received low vitamin D in comparison to high vitamin D diet. Dysbiosis and increasing of injury in gut following VDR or 1, 25(OH)₂D₃ deficiency has been also reported by Ooi et al. [23]. They found that vitamin D could regulate the intestinal microbiota while Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were more abundant in fecal sample of cytochrome P (Cyp) knockout (KO) and VDR KO mice in comparison to wild-type mice. In contrast, Firmicutes were less abundant in Cyp KO and VDR KO mice. The results of Ooi et al. [23] is similar to Assa et al. [24] about the abundance of Bacteroidetes as Assa et al. [25] reported the relatively high quantity of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria observed in vitamin D deficient mice in one study and in another one higher relative abundance of Bacteroidetes.

VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: HUMAN STUDIES

Cantarel et al. [3] conducted a clinical trial on women with or without relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) who were vitamin D insufficient. They reported that after 3 months of vitamin D supplementation (5,000 IU/day), the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Enterobacteriaceae increased, while in overall the relative abundance of Ruminococcus decreased. Moreover, after supplementation with vitamin D, untreated MS participants had an increased abundance of Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Coprococcus genera, in comparison with healthy controls and glatiramer acetate-treated MS subjects. Those treated with glatiramer acetate compared to other groups had increases in Janthinobacterium and decreases in Eubacterium and Ruminococcus after vitamin D supplementation [3]. In a 3-month uncontrolled trial, 1,000 neurological patients received individualized doses of vitamin D to guarantee a blood level of 60–80 ng/mL plus B100 (B complex of 100 mg of all B vitamins except 100 mcg of cyanocobalamin, 100 mcg of biotin, and 400 mcg of folic acid). The authors concluded that these patients did not experience the IBS symptoms during 3 years after stopping the supplementation. Supplementing vitamin D plus all 8 B vitamins led to a change in the intestinal microbiome to normal status in 3 months. This result showed the role of normal intestinal microbiome in reducing pain, sleep disorders, and IBS symptoms through increasing vitamin D and B vitamins level [17].

In another study, Ciubotaru et al. [31] conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial in men with pre-diabetes and vitamin D deficiency for more than one year. Supplementation with 50,000 IU/week ergocalciferol reduced the relative abundance of several genera of the Lachnospiraceae (e.g., Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Blautia, and Dorea) in high vitamin D quartiles. Another clinical trial also investigated the association between vitamin D supplementation and gut microbiome composition on 333 infants 3 to 6-month-aged. After vitamin D supplementation in pregnant women in 2 different doses of 4,000 IU vitamin D + prenatal vitamins or 400 IU vitamin D + prenatal vitamins, fecal samples from infants were collected and analyzed. In infants with higher cord blood vitamin D levels, the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae/U. Clostridales and Lachnobacterium was higher, while the relative abundance of Lactococcus was lower [30].

According to the study recently published by Garg et al. [28] Enterobacteriaceae were significantly increased in patients with ulcerative colitis following 40,000 IU D3/week supplementation for 8 weeks. In another controlled trial on patients with Crohn's disease, 20,000 IU D3 were given for one month. Greater abundance of Alistipes, Barnesiella, unclassified Porphyromonadaceae, Roseburia, Anaerotruncus, Subdoligranulum and an unclassified Ruminococaceae was reported after vitamin D supplementation [27]. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial on adults with cystic fibrosis, Lactococcus was increased, while Veillonella and Erysipelotrichaceae were decreased after 12-week supplementation with 50,000 IU D3/week [29]. In another study 62 fecal sample from healthy infants were collected that thirty-five of them were supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D per day. Comparative metagenomic analysis was done to investigate the distribution and diversity of infant gut microbiota. The researchers found that vitamin D plays an important role in modifying the infant gut microbiota, especially increase the probiotics types [37].

Observational studies have also been conducted in this field. In a cross-sectional study designed on 150 healthy individuals, authors demonstrated that higher vitamin D intake was associated with higher abundance of Provotella and lower abundance of Haemophilus and Veillonella. Moreover, the abundance of Coprococcus and Bifidobacterium was inversely related to the vitamin D intake [33]. Another study was conducted to find the correlation between some dietary nutrients and microbiota composition in 60 women, during the second trimester of pregnancy. Results showed that higher vitamin D intake is associated with increased ratio of Actinobacteria/Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria/Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria/Firmicutes, and other Bacteroides in pregnant women [34]. Another cohort study by Talsness et al. [32] aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation of infant and maternal subject on microbiota composition. A significant negative linear trend between maternal vitamin D supplementation and plasma 25(OH) D concentration and Bifidobacterium spp. was seen. In some breast-fed infants, vitamin D supplementation leads to lower abundance of Clostridium difficile. In a cross-sectional study of 567 old men, higher levels of 1,25(OH)₂ D were more related to butyrate producing bacteria that are associated with better gut microbial health [35]. In a birth cohort study, prenatal and cord blood vitamin D levels were associated with early life (up to 1 month) gut microbiota [36]. Recently, a review highlighted the therapeutic potential of vitamin D/VDR in the gut microbiota modulation and anti-inflammatory effects in IBD [38].

CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF EVIDENCE

Reviewing the studies showed that the normal microbiota makes up of 4 main phyla (Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobaceria, and Actinobacteria) [17] in which many factors including diet could change their balance [39]. Gut microbiota plays an important role in health and disease and now is considered as a separate human organ that affect the other organs [40]. The 2 main bacteria phyla in human feces are Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Other dominant phyla with less relative abundance are Proteobaceria, and Actinobacteria [17, 41]. To make a better view about the results, we considered microbiota in the phylum to genus level. In this section of review, we discuss the probable effect of vitamin D on gut microbiome in the phylum to genus level.

In phyla level, one study has shown that supplementation with vitamin D may change the microbiota composition with reducing in phylum Firmicutes [31]. Two other interventional studies have reported inconsistence results in which Firmicutes genus increased in one study while, the population of Firmicutes decreased in the other study [3, 30]. Although some studies showed increased Firmicutes genus, it has been reported that this genus is known as butyrate producers and anti-inflammatory [42]. In an observational study, Luthold et al. [33], have shown a reduction in Firmicutes phyla while Mandal et al. [34], have reported an increase in Proteobaceria/Firmicutes ratio. However, in both studies, the population of phylum Bacteroidetes increased. There is a hypothesis in which changing in microbiota composition to higher level of Bacteroidetes and lower level of Firmicutes would benefit the host while increasing in Firmicutes may leads to gut barrier dysfunction [43, 44].

The other 2 dominant phyla are Proteobaceria, and Actinobacteria, which seems to present pro-inflammatory and anti-pathogenic properties. One study has reported increase in Proteobaceria after vitamin D supplementation [3] and the other showed increase in Actinobacteria/Proteobaceria, Actinobacteria/Bacteroidetes, and Proteobaceri/Firmicutes ratio with higher dietary intake of vitamin D [34] while Luthold et al. [33] showed inverse relationship between some Proteobaceria and Actinobacteria genus and serum levels of vitamin D. This controversy may be explained by differences in study design. Luthold et al. [33], conducted his study in a cross-sectional design which is not strong for identifying causal relationships.

In genus level, all genera that their changes have been reported in the studies were as follows: Lactococcus, Blautia, Rosburia, Ruminococcus, Dorea, Faecalibacterum, Coprococcus, Veillonella, Subdoligranulum, Erysipelotrichaceae, Eubacterium, Anaerotruncus, C. difficile (phylum Firmicutes), Provotella, Alistipes, Barnesiella, Porphyromonadaceae (phylum Bacteroidetes), Haemophilus, Janthinobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae (phylum Proteobaceria), Bifidobacterium (phylum Actinobacteria), and Akkermansia (phylum Verrucomicrobia). Among these genera Blautia, Rosburia, Dorea, and Coprococcus are all from family Lachnospiaceae. One study showed significant reduction in abundance of Blautia, Rosburia, Ruminococcus, and Dorea after vitamin D supplementation [31] which all are associated with increasing gut permeability and inflammation [45]. In another study by Cantarel et al. [3] supplementation with vitamin D₃ in MS women lead to increase in abundance of Akkermansia, Faecalibacterum, and Coprococcus (family Lachnospiaceae) which Coprococcus and Faecalibacterum have known as butyrate producers and may be anti-inflammatory [42]. Akkermansia, another increased genus is a mucin-degrading bacteria [46]. Sordillo et al. [30] concluded that higher vitamin D level is correlated with higher abundance of Lachnospiaceae/U. Clostridales. Multivariate analysis showed increasing Lachnobacterium and decreasing Lactococcus abundance. According to this research, low vitamin D level is associated with dysbiosis and inflammation progression. Contrary to the results of this study about Lactococcus, 2 studies reported an increase in Lactococcus, which related to positive gut health, after supplementation with vitamin D [29, 33]. On the other hand, based on Luthold et al. [33], the abundance of Bifidobacterium inversely related to the vitamin D intake. In line with this finding, the abundance of Bifidobacterium spp. was inversely related to maternal plasma 25(OH) D concentration in observational study by Talsness et al. [32]. Bifidobacterium and lactic acid bacteria like Lactococcus are both known for their potential probiotic effects. Although the results of this review are partly associated with the prebiotic properties of vitamin D, are not confirmed by the contradictory nature of the studies and there is a need for further studies focusing on probiotic bacteria.

Luthold et al. [33] showed higher abundance of Provotella and lower abundance of Coprococcus, Haemophilus and Veillonella in the highest vitamin D intake tertile which is consistent with Kanhere et al.'s study [47] on the Veillonella which was known as cause of many infections [47]. Results about Coprococcus are inconsistent with Cantarel study which could be due to its cross-sectional design or the other factors for example the probable effect of MS on intestinal microbiota. Moreover, results of this research showed the lowest tertile of vitamin D intake correlated with increasing in LPS level that likely due to increase in gram negative bacteria (Haemophilus & Proteobacteria) which have LPS in their outer membrane. As mentioned above, in the Mandal et al.'s research [34], vitamin D intake was associated with increasing the Actinobacteria/Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria/Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria/Firmicutes ratio, and other Bacteroides in pregnant women. On the other hand, higher vitamin D intake may decreases microbiome diversity. It has been known that reduction in microbiota variety is related to some diseases including IBD [48], obesity [20], autism [49], and allergy [50]. Besides higher intake of vitamin D changes the microbiome toward increasing Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria abundance at phyla levels. These 2 phyla presented anti-pathogenic properties [34]. To be noted that meat and other animal products are important sources of vitamin D and several publications have reported the effect of meat on microbiota [51]. These relationships may be explained with antimicrobial characteristics of vitamin D that encompass certain groups of bacteria. Therefore, higher intake of vitamin D might cause an increase in probable pathogens [34]. The observed contradiction in findings may be the result of inaccurate vitamin D assessment method (food frequency questionnaire) used in this research.

Suggested mechanisms for the role of vitamin D in gut health is shown in Figure 1. Generally, vitamin D effects are as follows: gene expression modulation of anti-microbial peptides like cathelicidin and β-defensin [52], gene expression modulation of tight junction proteins like zonulin occluden-1, zonulin occluden-2, claudin 2, and 12 [53], regulation of innate immune system via gene expression modulation of toll-like receptor 2 and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 2 and adaptive immune system via modulation of B- and T-lymphocyte function [52, 54].

Figure 1

Suggested mechanisms for the association of vitamin D and microbiota.

RXR, retinoid X receptor; VDR, vitamin D receptor; VDRE, vitamin D response element; ZO, zonula occludens; TLR, Toll-like receptor; NOD, nucleotide oligomerization domain; NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa B; LPS, lipopolysaccharides.

CONCLUSION

This study reviewed the data of literatures that investigated the association between vitamin D and gut microbiota. In observational studies, the association of vitamin D deficiency with dysbiosis has been reported. Furthermore, interventional studies were emerging that vitamin D change the microbiota composition in which leads to increase in beneficial bacteria, such as Ruminococcaceae, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, Lactococcus, and Coprococcus while decreases in some genera from Firmicutes.

There is scarcity of research on the association between vitamin D and microbiota composition. It seems appropriate dose of vitamin D can alter the gut microbiota with increase in Bacteroidetes and decrease in Firmicutes. At genera level, vitamin D may connect to some genera of Lachnospiaceae family (e.g., Blautia, Rosburia, Dorea, and Coprococcus). Therefore, maintaining the appropriate amount of vitamin D in the body seems to have beneficial effects on the composition of the gut microbiota.

NOTES

Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

REFERENCES

1. Holick MF. The vitamin D deficiency pandemic: approaches for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2017;18:153-165.
Article
PubMed
PDF
2. Bashir M, Prietl B, Tauschmann M, Mautner SI, Kump PK, Treiber G, Wurm P, Gorkiewicz G, Högenauer C, Pieber TR. Effects of high doses of vitamin D3 on mucosa-associated gut microbiome vary between regions of the human gastrointestinal tract. Eur J Nutr 2016;55:1479-1489.
Article
PubMed
PDF
3. Cantarel BL, Waubant E, Chehoud C, Kuczynski J, DeSantis TZ, Warrington J, Venkatesan A, Fraser CM, Mowry EM. Gut microbiota in multiple sclerosis: possible influence of immunomodulators. J Investig Med 2015;63:729-734.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
4. Gaksch M, Jorde R, Grimnes G, Joakimsen R, Schirmer H, Wilsgaard T, Mathiesen EB, Njølstad I, Løchen ML, März W, Kleber ME, Tomaschitz A, Grübler M, Eiriksdottir G, Gudmundsson EF, Harris TB, Cotch MF, Aspelund T, Gudnason V, Rutters F, Beulens JW, van ’t Riet E, Nijpels G, Dekker JM, Grove-Laugesen D, Rejnmark L, Busch MA, Mensink GB, Scheidt-Nave C, Thamm M, Swart KM, Brouwer IA, Lips P, van Schoor NM, Sempos CT, Durazo-Arvizu RA, Škrabáková Z, Dowling KG, Cashman KD, Kiely M, Pilz S. Vitamin D and mortality: Individual participant data meta-analysis of standardized 25-hydroxyvitamin D in 26916 individuals from a European consortium. PLoS One 2017;12:e0170791.
PubMed
PMC
5. McDonnell SL, Baggerly CA, French CB, Baggerly LL, Garland CF, Gorham ED, Hollis BW, Trump DL, Lappe JM. Breast cancer risk markedly lower with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations ≥60 vs <20 ng/ml (150 vs 50 nmol/L): pooled analysis of two randomized trials and a prospective cohort. PLoS One 2018;13:e0199265.
Article
PubMed
PMC
6. Zhang R, Li B, Gao X, Tian R, Pan Y, Jiang Y, Gu H, Wang Y, Wang Y, Liu G. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and the risk of cardiovascular disease: dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2017;105:810-819.
Article
PubMed
7. Park SK, Garland CF, Gorham ED, BuDoff L, Barrett-Connor E. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and risk of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: 12-year cohort study. PLoS One 2018;13:e0193070.
Article
PubMed
PMC
8. Laaksi I, Ruohola JP, Tuohimaa P, Auvinen A, Haataja R, Pihlajamäki H, Ylikomi T. An association of serum vitamin D concentrations < 40 nmol/L with acute respiratory tract infection in young Finnish men. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86:714-717.
PubMed
9. Martineau AR, Jolliffe DA, Hooper RL, Greenberg L, Aloia JF, Bergman P, Dubnov-Raz G, Esposito S, Ganmaa D, Ginde AA, Goodall EC, Grant CC, Griffiths CJ, Janssens W, Laaksi I, Manaseki-Holland S, Mauger D, Murdoch DR, Neale R, Rees JR, Simpson S Jr, Stelmach I, Kumar GT, Urashima M, Camargo CA Jr. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ 2017;356:i6583.
PubMed
PMC
10. Manichanh C, Borruel N, Casellas F, Guarner F. The gut microbiota in IBD. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2012;9:599-608.
Article
PubMed
PDF
11. Gagliani N, Hu B, Huber S, Elinav E, Flavell RA. The fire within: microbes inflame tumors. Cell 2014;157:776-783.
Article
PubMed
12. Wang TJ, Pencina MJ, Booth SL, Jacques PF, Ingelsson E, Lanier K, Benjamin EJ, D'Agostino RB, Wolf M, Vasan RS. Vitamin D deficiency and risk of cardiovascular disease. Circulation 2008;117:503-511.
PubMed
PMC
13. Veldman CM, Cantorna MT, DeLuca HF. Expression of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ receptor in the immune system. Arch Biochem Biophys 2000;374:334-338.
Article
PubMed
14. Nicholson JK, Holmes E, Kinross J, Burcelin R, Gibson G, Jia W, Pettersson S. Host-gut microbiota metabolic interactions. Science 2012;336:1262-1267.
Article
PubMed
15. Kamada N, Seo SU, Chen GY, Núñez G. Role of the gut microbiota in immunity and inflammatory disease. Nat Rev Immunol 2013;13:321-335.
Article
PubMed
PDF
16. NIH HMP Working Group. Peterson J, Garges S, Giovanni M, McInnes P, Wang L, Schloss JA, Bonazzi V, McEwen JE, Wetterstrand KA, Deal C, Baker CC, Di Francesco V, Howcroft TK, Karp RW, Lunsford RD, Wellington CR, Belachew T, Wright M, Giblin C, David H, Mills M, Salomon R, Mullins C, Akolkar B, Begg L, Davis C, Grandison L, Humble M, Khalsa J, Little AR, Peavy H, Pontzer C, Portnoy M, Sayre MH, Starke-Reed P, Zakhari S, Read J, Watson B, Guyer M. The NIH human microbiome project. Genome Res 2009;19:2317-2323.
PubMed
PMC
17. Gominak SC. Vitamin D deficiency changes the intestinal microbiome reducing B vitamin production in the gut. The resulting lack of pantothenic acid adversely affects the immune system, producing a “pro-inflammatory” state associated with atherosclerosis and autoimmunity. Med Hypotheses 2016;94:103-107.
Article
PubMed
18. Rodríguez JM, Murphy K, Stanton C, Ross RP, Kober OI, Juge N, Avershina E, Rudi K, Narbad A, Jenmalm MC, Marchesi JR, Collado MC. The composition of the gut microbiota throughout life, with an emphasis on early life. Microb Ecol Health Dis 2015;26:26050.
PubMed
19. Matijašić BB, Obermajer T, Lipoglavšek L, Grabnar I, Avguštin G, Rogelj I. Association of dietary type with fecal microbiota in vegetarians and omnivores in Slovenia. Eur J Nutr 2014;53:1051-1064.
Article
PubMed
PDF
20. Turnbaugh PJ, Hamady M, Yatsunenko T, Cantarel BL, Duncan A, Ley RE, Sogin ML, Jones WJ, Roe BA, Affourtit JP, Egholm M, Henrissat B, Heath AC, Knight R, Gordon JI. A core gut microbiome in obese and lean twins. Nature 2009;457:480-484.
PubMed
21. Tangestani H, Emamat H, Ghalandari H, Shab-Bidar S. Whole grains, dietary fibers and the human gut microbiota: a systematic review of existing literature. Recent Pat Food Nutr Agric 2020;11:235-248.
Article
PubMed
PDF
22. Del Chierico F, Vernocchi P, Dallapiccola B, Putignani L. Mediterranean diet and health: food effects on gut microbiota and disease control. Int J Mol Sci 2014;15:11678-11699.
Article
PubMed
PMC
23. Ooi JH, Li Y, Rogers CJ, Cantorna MT. Vitamin D regulates the gut microbiome and protects mice from dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis. J Nutr 2013;143:1679-1686.
Article
PubMed
PMC
24. Assa A, Vong L, Pinnell LJ, Avitzur N, Johnson-Henry KC, Sherman PM. Vitamin D deficiency promotes epithelial barrier dysfunction and intestinal inflammation. J Infect Dis 2014;210:1296-1305.
PubMed
25. Jahani R, Fielding KA, Chen J, Villa CR, Castelli LM, Ward WE, Comelli EM. Low vitamin D status throughout life results in an inflammatory prone status but does not alter bone mineral or strength in healthy 3-month-old CD-1 male mice. Mol Nutr Food Res 2014;58:1491-1501.
PubMed
26. Assa A, Vong L, Pinnell LJ, Rautava J, Avitzur N, Johnson-Henry KC, Sherman PM. Vitamin D deficiency predisposes to adherent-invasive Escherichia coli-induced barrier dysfunction and experimental colonic injury. Inflamm Bowel Dis 2015;21:297-306.
Article
PubMed
27. Schäffler H, Herlemann DP, Klinitzke P, Berlin P, Kreikemeyer B, Jaster R, Lamprecht G. Vitamin D administration leads to a shift of the intestinal bacterial composition in Crohn's disease patients, but not in healthy controls. J Dig Dis 2018;19:225-234.
Article
PubMed
PDF
28. Garg M, Hendy P, Ding JN, Shaw S, Hold G, Hart A. The effect of vitamin D on intestinal inflammation and faecal microbiota in patients with ulcerative colitis. J Crohns Colitis 2018;12:963-972.
PubMed
29. Kanhere M, He J, Chassaing B, Ziegler TR, Alvarez JA, Ivie EA, Hao L, Hanfelt J, Gewirtz AT, Tangpricha V. Bolus weekly vitamin D3 supplementation impacts gut and airway microbiota in adults with cystic fibrosis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018;103:564-574.
Article
PubMed
30. Sordillo JE, Zhou Y, McGeachie MJ, Ziniti J, Lange N, Laranjo N, Savage JR, Carey V, O'Connor G, Sandel M, Strunk R, Bacharier L, Zeiger R, Weiss ST, Weinstock G, Gold DR, Litonjua AA. Factors influencing the infant gut microbiome at age 3-6 months: findings from the ethnically diverse Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART). J Allergy Clin Immunol 2017;139:482-491.e14.
Article
PubMed
31. Ciubotaru I, Green SJ, Kukreja S, Barengolts E. Significant differences in fecal microbiota are associated with various stages of glucose tolerance in African American male veterans. Transl Res 2015;166:401-411.
Article
PubMed
PMC
32. Talsness CE, Penders J, Jansen EHJM, Damoiseaux J, Thijs C, Mommers M. Influence of vitamin D on key bacterial taxa in infant microbiota in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. PLoS One 2017;12:e0188011.
PubMed
PMC
33. Luthold RV, Fernandes GR, Franco-de-Moraes AC, Folchetti LG, Ferreira SR. Gut microbiota interactions with the immunomodulatory role of vitamin D in normal individuals. Metabolism 2017;69:76-86.
Article
PubMed
34. Mandal S, Godfrey KM, McDonald D, Treuren WV, Bjørnholt JV, Midtvedt T, Moen B, Rudi K, Knight R, Brantsæter AL, Peddada SD, Eggesbø M. Fat and vitamin intakes during pregnancy have stronger relations with a pro-inflammatory maternal microbiota than does carbohydrate intake. Microbiome 2016;4:55.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
35. Thomas RL, Jiang L, Adams JS, Xu ZZ, Shen J, Janssen S, Ackermann G, Vanderschueren D, Pauwels S, Knight R, Orwoll ES, Kado DM. Vitamin D metabolites and the gut microbiome in older men. Nat Commun 2020;11:5997.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
36. Kassem Z, Sitarik A, Levin AM, Lynch SV, Havstad S, Fujimura K, Kozyrskyj A, Ownby DR, Johnson CC, Yong GJ, Wegienka G, Cassidy-Bushrow AE. Maternal and cord blood vitamin D level and the infant gut microbiota in a birth cohort study. Matern Health Neonatol Perinatol 2020;6:5.
PubMed
PMC
37. Lei WT, Huang KY, Jhong JH, Chen CH, Weng SL. Metagenomic analysis of the gut microbiome composition associated with vitamin D supplementation in Taiwanese infants. Sci Rep 2021;11:2856.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
38. Battistini C, Ballan R, Herkenhoff ME, Saad SM, Sun J. Vitamin D modulates intestinal microbiota in inflammatory bowel diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2020;22:362.
Article
PubMed
PMC
39. David LA, Maurice CF, Carmody RN, Gootenberg DB, Button JE, Wolfe BE, Ling AV, Devlin AS, Varma Y, Fischbach MA, Biddinger SB, Dutton RJ, Turnbaugh PJ. Diet rapidly and reproducibly alters the human gut microbiome. Nature 2014;505:559-563.
Article
PubMed
PDF
40. Goulet O. Potential role of the intestinal microbiota in programming health and disease. Nutr Rev 2015;73(Suppl 1):32-40.
PubMed
41. Human Microbiome Project Consortium. Structure, function and diversity of the healthy human microbiome. Nature 2012;486:207-214.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
42. Sokol H, Pigneur B, Watterlot L, Lakhdari O, Bermúdez-Humarán LG, Gratadoux JJ, Blugeon S, Bridonneau C, Furet JP, Corthier G, Grangette C, Vasquez N, Pochart P, Trugnan G, Thomas G, Blottière HM, Doré J, Marteau P, Seksik P, Langella P. Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is an anti-inflammatory commensal bacterium identified by gut microbiota analysis of Crohn disease patients. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008;105:16731-16736.
Article
PubMed
PMC
43. De Filippo C, Cavalieri D, Di Paola M, Ramazzotti M, Poullet JB, Massart S, Collini S, Pieraccini G, Lionetti P. Impact of diet in shaping gut microbiota revealed by a comparative study in children from Europe and rural Africa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010;107:14691-14696.
Article
PubMed
PMC
44. Schippa S, Conte MP. Dysbiotic events in gut microbiota: impact on human health. Nutrients 2014;6:5786-5805.
PubMed
PMC
45. Barengolts E.. Vitamin D and prebiotics may benefit the intestinal microbacteria and improve glucose homeostasis in prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Endocr Pract 2013;19:497-510.
Article
PubMed
46. Derrien M, Van Baarlen P, Hooiveld G, Norin E, Müller M, de Vos WM. Modulation of mucosal immune response, tolerance, and proliferation in mice colonized by the mucin-degrader Akkermansia muciniphila . Front Microbiol 2011;2:166.
Article
PubMed
PMC
47. Brook I. Veillonella infections in children. J Clin Microbiol 1996;34:1283-1285.
Article
PubMed
PMC
PDF
48. Manichanh C, Rigottier-Gois L, Bonnaud E, Gloux K, Pelletier E, Frangeul L, Nalin R, Jarrin C, Chardon P, Marteau P, Roca J, Dore J. Reduced diversity of faecal microbiota in Crohn's disease revealed by a metagenomic approach. Gut 2006;55:205-211.
PubMed
PMC
49. Kang DW, Park JG, Ilhan ZE, Wallstrom G, Labaer J, Adams JB, Krajmalnik-Brown R. Reduced incidence of Prevotella and other fermenters in intestinal microflora of autistic children. PLoS One 2013;8:e68322.
Article
PubMed
PMC
50. Bisgaard H, Li N, Bonnelykke K, Chawes BL, Skov T, Paludan-Müller G, Stokholm J, Smith B, Krogfelt KA. Reduced diversity of the intestinal microbiota during infancy is associated with increased risk of allergic disease at school age. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011;128:646-652.e1-5.
Article
PubMed
51. Crowe FL, Steur M, Allen NE, Appleby PN, Travis RC, Key TJ. Plasma concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans: results from the EPIC-Oxford study. Public Health Nutr 2011;14:340-346.
Article
PubMed
52. Wang TJ, Zhang F, Richards JB, Kestenbaum B, van Meurs JB, Berry D, Kiel DP, Streeten EA, Ohlsson C, Koller DL, Peltonen L, Cooper JD, O'Reilly PF, Houston DK, Glazer NL, Vandenput L, Peacock M, Shi J, Rivadeneira F, McCarthy MI, Anneli P, de Boer IH, Mangino M, Kato B, Smyth DJ, Booth SL, Jacques PF, Burke GL, Goodarzi M, Cheung CL, Wolf M, Rice K, Goltzman D, Hidiroglou N, Ladouceur M, Wareham NJ, Hocking LJ, Hart D, Arden NK, Cooper C, Malik S, Fraser WD, Hartikainen AL, Zhai G, Macdonald HM, Forouhi NG, Loos RJ, Reid DM, Hakim A, Dennison E, Liu Y, Power C, Stevens HE, Jaana L, Vasan RS, Soranzo N, Bojunga J, Psaty BM, Lorentzon M, Foroud T, Harris TB, Hofman A, Jansson JO, Cauley JA, Uitterlinden AG, Gibson Q, Järvelin MR, Karasik D, Siscovick DS, Econs MJ, Kritchevsky SB, Florez JC, Todd JA, Dupuis J, Hyppönen E, Spector TD. Common genetic determinants of vitamin D insufficiency: a genome-wide association study. Lancet 2010;376:180-188.
PubMed
PMC
53. Zhang YG, Wu S, Sun J. Vitamin D, vitamin D receptor and tissue barriers. Tissue Barriers 2013;1:e23118.
Article
PubMed
PMC
54. Owen JL, Mohamadzadeh M. Microbial activation of gut dendritic cells and the control of mucosal immunity. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2013;33:619-631.
Article
PubMed
PMC

Figure & Data

References

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

The effect of vitamins and micronutrients on the intestinal microbiota in norm and pathology
Alexandra I. Nekrasova, Irina G. Kalashnikova, Ekaterina S. Petryaykina, Alexander S. Nekrasov, Vladimir S. Yudin, Valentin V. Makarov, Anton A. Keskinov, Sergey M. Yudin
Russian Medicine.2025; 31(1): 51. CrossRef
Rationale for integrated nutrient support in schizophrenia: a brief review
Tatyana V. Zhilyaeva, Galina E. Mazo
Psychopharmacology and Addiction Biology.2025; 16(3): 173. CrossRef
The Antimicrobial Activity of Combination of Vitamin D3 and Omega-3 against Pathogenic Microorganisms
Mohammad A. A. AL Najjar, Shaymaa B. Abdulrazzaq, Shatha Al-Shaer, Muna Barakat, Amin Omar, Rafat Zrieq, Eliza Hasen, Mahmoud Abu Samak
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening.2025; 28(8): 1278. CrossRef
Vitamin D3 Improves Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis Function, Immunological Responses, and Gut Dysbiosis in Sleep Desynchrony
Changwei W. Wu, Yen‐Ju Huang, Jin‐Wei Xu, Hsien‐Yu Fan, Jun‐Lan Zeng, Yu‐Chen S. H. Yang, Yu‐Tang Tung
Brain and Behavior.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Vitamin D metabolites and the gut microbiota dietary index are associated with reduced all-cause mortality in US adults: a prospective cohort study
Qiang Zou, Bolin Fu, Yongsheng Gou, Gang Zhong, Yalan Liu
BMC Nutrition.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Enterococcus dysbiosis as a mediator of vitamin D deficiency-associated memory impairments
Elizaveta Vinogradova, Zharkyn Jarmukhanov, Madiyar Nurgaziyev, Alibek Kossumov, Ayaulym Nurgozhina, Nurislam Mukhanbetzhanov, Shynggys Sergazy, Laura Chulenbayeva, Argul Issilbayeva, Sholpan Askarova, Aiym Kaiyrlykyzy, Saule Rakhimova, Ulan Kozhamkulov,
Heliyon.2025; 11(2): e41969. CrossRef
The Mediating Role of Bioactive Molecules in Gut Microbiota–Bone Metabolism Crosstalk
Xinping Liang, Luoyang Wang
Nutrients.2025; 17(21): 3421. CrossRef
Vitamin D in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Exploring Its Role in Symptom Relief and Pathophysiology
Ioanna Aggeletopoulou, Georgios Geramoutsos, Ploutarchos Pastras, Christos Triantos
Nutrients.2025; 17(6): 1028. CrossRef
The role of gut microbiota and vitamin D in the development of atopic dermatitis and food allergies in children
Irina G. Kalashnikova, Alexsandra I. Nekrasova, Anna V. Korobeinikova, Angelica V. Zagainova, Natalia V. Lavrushkina, Vladimir S. Yudin, Valentin V. Makarov, Anton A. Keskinov, Sergey M. Yudin
Russian Medicine.2025; 31(4): 360. CrossRef
The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its association to modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease among apparently healthy adults in Central Kerala
Rose Mary Jacob Vatakencherry, Susan John, L Saraswathy, Renjitha Bhaskaran
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care.2025; 14(6): 2443. CrossRef
Dietary Intake and Gut Microbiome in CKD
Julie Ann Kemp, Marcia Ribeiro, Natália A. Borges, Ludmila F.M.F. Cardozo, Denis Fouque, Denise Mafra
Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.2025; 20(7): 1003. CrossRef
The Role of Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: From Deficiency to Targeted Therapeutics and Precise Nutrition Strategies
Giuseppe Dell’Anna, Fabrizio Fanizzi, Alessandra Zilli, Federica Furfaro, Virginia Solitano, Tommaso Lorenzo Parigi, Ambra Ciliberto, Jacopo Fanizza, Francesco Vito Mandarino, Lorenzo Fuccio, Antonio Facciorusso, Gianfranco Donatelli, Mariangela Allocca,
Nutrients.2025; 17(13): 2167. CrossRef
Chronic Kidney Disease Diets for Kidney Failure Prevention: Insights from the IL-11 Paradigm
Denise Elshoff, Priyanka Mehta, Ouliana Ziouzenkova
Nutrients.2024; 16(9): 1342. CrossRef
The role of body mass index in the association between serum vitamin D and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A mediation analysis
Yu Han, Yan Liu, Ruirui Guo, Yuqi Gao, Yuangang Guo, Jing Zhao, Sitong Xin, Yang Xu, Bo Li, Xiumin Liu
Journal of Functional Foods.2024; 122: 106484. CrossRef
Gut microbial metabolites: Shaping future diagnosis and treatment against gastrointestinal cancer
Hongyan Gou, Ruijie Zeng, Harry Cheuk Hay Lau, Jun Yu
Pharmacological Research.2024; 208: 107373. CrossRef
Role of the Gut Microbiota in Osteoarthritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Spondylarthritis: An Update on the Gut–Joint Axis
Umile Giuseppe Longo, Alberto Lalli, Benedetta Bandini, Roberto de Sire, Silvia Angeletti, Sebastien Lustig, Antonio Ammendolia, Nicolaas Cyrillus Budhiparama, Alessandro de Sire
International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(6): 3242. CrossRef
Novel primers to identify a wider diversity of butyrate-producing bacteria
Xianbin Meng, Qinglong Shu
World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Modelling the influence of vitamin D and probiotic supplementation on the microbiome and immune response
S J Franks, J L Dunster, S R Carding, J M Lord, M Hewison, P C Calder, J R King
Mathematical Medicine and Biology: A Journal of the IMA.2024; 41(4): 304. CrossRef
Bioactives and their roles in bone metabolism of osteoarthritis: evidence and mechanisms on gut-bone axis
Sanjay Basak, Kota Sri Naga Hridayanka, Asim K. Duttaroy
Frontiers in Immunology.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Association of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D status with cardiometabolic risk factors and total and regional obesity in southern Iran: evidence from the PoCOsteo study
Alireza Nejabat, Hadi Emamat, Sima Afrashteh, Ali Jamshidi, Zahra Jamali, Akram Farhadi, Zahra Talkhabi, Iraj Nabipour, Bagher Larijani, Jörg Spitz
Scientific Reports.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Disorders Associated to Major Depressive Disorder: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Opportunities
Luana M. Manosso, Luciano A. Duarte, Nicoly S. Martinello, Gisiane B. Mathia, Gislaine Z. Réus
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets.2024; 23(9): 1085. CrossRef
Impact of urbanization on gut microbiome mosaics across geographic and dietary contexts
Elizaveta Vinogradova, Nurislam Mukhanbetzhanov, Madiyar Nurgaziyev, Zharkyn Jarmukhanov, Rakhilya Aipova, Aliya Sailybayeva, Makhabbat Bekbossynova, Samat Kozhakhmetov, Almagul Kushugulova, Vanni Bucci
mSystems.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Nutraceuticals and pharmacological to balance the transitional microbiome to extend immunity during COVID-19 and other viral infections
Anju Kaushal
Journal of Translational Medicine.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
Contemporary Perspectives on the Role of Vitamin D in Enhancing Gut Health and Its Implications for Preventing and Managing Intestinal Diseases
Jiaxin Wang, Lihua Mei, Yanling Hao, Yajun Xu, Qing Yang, Zhaolai Dai, Ying Yang, Zhenlong Wu, Yun Ji
Nutrients.2024; 16(14): 2352. CrossRef
Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Vitamin D Supplementations Partially Reversed Metabolic Disorders and Restored Gut Microbiota in Obese Wistar Rats
Dylan Le Jan, Mohamed Siliman Misha, Sandrine Destrumelle, Olivia Terceve, Chantal Thorin, Thibaut Larcher, Mireille Ledevin, Jean-Claude Desfontis, Eric Betti, Yassine Mallem
Biology.2024; 13(12): 1070. CrossRef
Investigating the Effects and Mechanisms of Combined Vitamin D and K Supplementation in Postmenopausal Women: An Up-to-Date Comprehensive Review of Clinical Studies
Marius Emil Rusu, Galya Bigman, Alice S. Ryan, Daniela-Saveta Popa
Nutrients.2024; 16(14): 2356. CrossRef
Washed microbiota transplantation improved the level of serum vitamin D in ulcerative colitis
Hui Zhang, Yuyan Xiao, Quan Wen, Sheng Zhang, Pan Li, Cicilia Marcella, Bo Hu, Hui Liu, Faming Zhang, Bota Cui
Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.2024; 39(11): 2394. CrossRef
Isolation and Identification of Individual Intestinal Bacteria Associated with Waist Circumference Increase
Sahar Salih Hussein, Asal Aziz Tawfeeq
Medical Journal of Babylon.2024; 21(Suppl 2): S217. CrossRef
The Role of Vitamin D3 Deficiency and Colonization of the Oral Mucosa by Candida Yeast-like Fungi in the Pathomechanism of Psoriasis
Mariola Marchlewicz, Paulina Sagan, Marta Grabowska, Magdalena Kiedrowicz, Joanna Kruk, Kamil Gill, Małgorzata Piasecka, Ewa Duchnik
Journal of Clinical Medicine.2024; 13(22): 6874. CrossRef
Metabolome–microbiome insights into therapeutic impact of 8‐O‐acetylharpagide against breast cancer in a murine model
Jiahui Qian, Xinyu Zhao, Siyuan Yuan, Sijia Su, Chang Chen, Junfeng Gao, Xu Tang, Siye Men, Binyu Wen
Biomedical Chromatography.2024;[Epub] CrossRef
The Potential Use of Vitamin D3 and Phytochemicals for Their Anti-Ageing Effects
Kazuki Santa, Yoshio Kumazawa, Kenji Watanabe, Isao Nagaoka
International Journal of Molecular Sciences.2024; 25(4): 2125. CrossRef
Microbiota-Accessible Boron-Containing Compounds in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Cristina Elena Biţă, Ion Romulus Scorei, Ananu Florentin Vreju, Anca Emanuela Muşetescu, George Dan Mogoşanu, Andrei Biţă, Venera Cristina Dinescu, Ştefan Cristian Dinescu, Cristina Criveanu, Andreea Lili Bărbulescu, Alesandra Florescu, Paulina Lucia Ciur
Medicina.2023; 59(11): 1965. CrossRef
Tumor Microbial Communities and Thyroid Cancer Development—The Protective Role of Antioxidant Nutrients: Application Strategies and Future Directions
Francesca Gorini, Alessandro Tonacci
Antioxidants.2023; 12(10): 1898. CrossRef
Low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels are associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms in community-dwelling Japanese people aged between 40 and 74 years: The Murakami cohort study.
Mona Ben m'rad, Lovena Jacqdom, Fjolla Berisha, Harmehr Sekhon, Marjolaine Rivest-Beauregard, Alain Brunet
Journal of Affective Disorders.2023; 340: 327. CrossRef
Gut microbiota alterations after switching from a protease inhibitor or efavirenz to raltegravir in a randomized, controlled study
Anna M. Hanttu, Satu Pekkala, Reetta Satokari, Anna K. Hartikainen, Perttu Arkkila, Kirsi H. Pietiläinen, Jussi P. Sutinen
AIDS.2023; 37(2): 323. CrossRef
Gut distress and intervention via communications of SARS-CoV-2 with mucosal exposome
Yuseok Moon
Frontiers in Public Health.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Role of in vitamin D in irritable bowel syndrome
Xiao-Lan Yu, Qi-Qi Wu, Lian-Ping He, Yong-Feng Zheng
World Journal of Clinical Cases.2023; 11(12): 2677. CrossRef
Serum Vitamin D Level and Gut Microbiota in Women
Noorah S. Al-Khaldy, Sara Al-Musharaf, Esra’a A. Aljazairy, Syed Danish Hussain, Abdullah M. Alnaami, Nasser Al-Daghri, Ghadeer Aljuraiban
Healthcare.2023; 11(3): 351. CrossRef
The gut microbiota-bile acid axis mediates the beneficial associations between plasma vitamin D and metabolic syndrome in Chinese adults: A prospective study
Hong-rou Lin, Fengzhe Xu, Danyu Chen, Keliang Xie, Yingdi Yang, Wei Hu, Bang-yan Li, Zengliang Jiang, Yuhui Liang, Xin-yi Tang, Ju-Sheng Zheng, Yu-ming Chen
Clinical Nutrition.2023; 42(6): 887. CrossRef
The Association between Circulating 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D and Carotid Intima‐Media Thickness Is Mediated by Gut Microbiota and Fecal and Serum Metabolites in Adults
Chun‐ying Liu, Bang‐yan Li, Yuhui Liang, Jinjian Xu, Lai‐Bao Zhuo, Jia‐ting Wang, Wei Hu, Ting‐yu Sun, Fengzhe Xu, Wanglong Gou, Ju‐Sheng Zheng, Yu‐ming Chen
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Microbial Components and Effector Molecules in T Helper Cell Differentiation and Function
Changhon Lee, Haena Lee, John Chulhoon Park, Sin-Hyeog Im
Immune Network.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
The correlation between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and ulcerative colitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Chenyu Liu, Xin Liu, Haitao Shi, Fenrong Chen, Linlang Sun, Xin Gao, Yan Wang
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology.2023; 35(12): 1375. CrossRef
Traditional Chinese Medicine in Osteoporosis Intervention and the Related Regulatory Mechanism of Gut Microbiome
Kun Li, Yiping Jiang, Nani Wang, Liyong Lai, Shengyan Xu, Tianshuang Xia, Xiaoqiang Yue, Hailiang Xin
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.2023; 51(08): 1957. CrossRef
An Integrated Approach to Skeletal Muscle Health in Aging
Deborah Agostini, Marco Gervasi, Fabio Ferrini, Alessia Bartolacci, Alessandro Stranieri, Giovanni Piccoli, Elena Barbieri, Piero Sestili, Antonino Patti, Vilberto Stocchi, Sabrina Donati Zeppa
Nutrients.2023; 15(8): 1802. CrossRef
Induction of Endogenous Antimicrobial Peptides to Prevent or Treat Oral Infection and Inflammation
Kimberly A. Morio, Robert H. Sternowski, Kim A. Brogden
Antibiotics.2023; 12(2): 361. CrossRef
Vitamin D may alleviate irritable bowel syndrome by modulating serotonin synthesis: a hypothesis based on recent literature
Xiao-Lan Yu, Cui-Ping Li, Lian-Ping He
Frontiers in Physiology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
The impact of vitamin D3 supplementation on the faecal and oral microbiome of dairy calves indoors or at pasture
S. Vigors, S. Flores-Villalva, K. G. Meade
Scientific Reports.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Prospects for the use of polyphenols in multiple sclerosis
A.V. Lopatina, A.D. Kukushkina, M.V. Melnikov, V.S. Rogovskii
Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii im. S.S. Korsakova.2022; 122(7): 36. CrossRef
Potential Effects of 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol on the Growth Performance, Blood Antioxidant Capacity, Intestinal Barrier Function and Microbiota in Broilers under Lipopolysaccharide Challenge
Lianhua Zhang, Jian Wang, Xiangshu Piao
Antioxidants.2022; 11(11): 2094. CrossRef
Cross sectional determinants of VO2 max in free living Iranians: Potential role of metabolic syndrome components and vitamin D status
Nadia Babaei, Samira Davarzani, Sheida Motlagh, Mojdeh Ebaditabar, Nasim Saeidifard, Gholamreza Mohammadi-Farsani, Kurosh Djafarian, Mario J. Soares, Sakineh Shab-Bidar
Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews.2022; 16(7): 102553. CrossRef
Vitamin D and colorectal cancer: Chemopreventive perspectives through the gut microbiota and the immune system
Emanuele Rinninella, Maria Cristina Mele, Pauline Raoul, Marco Cintoni, Antonio Gasbarrini
BioFactors.2022; 48(2): 285. CrossRef
High Serum Vitamin D Concentrations, Induced via Diet, Trigger Immune and Intestinal Microbiota Alterations Leading to Type 1 Diabetes Protection in NOD Mice
Pieter-Jan Martens, Javier Centelles-Lodeiro, Darcy Ellis, Dana Paulina Cook, Gabriele Sassi, Lieve Verlinden, Annemieke Verstuyf, Jeroen Raes, Chantal Mathieu, Conny Gysemans
Frontiers in Immunology.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Vitamin D3 Nutritional Status Affects Gut Health of Salmonella-Challenged Laying Hens
Fangshen Guo, Yanqiang Geng, Waseem Abbas, Wenrui Zhen, Shuiqing Wang, Yuechuan Huang, Yuming Guo, Qiugang Ma, Zhong Wang
Frontiers in Nutrition.2022;[Epub] CrossRef

Cite

CITE

export

Copy Download

Format
XML Download

Download Citation

Download a citation file in RIS format that can be imported by all major citation management software, including EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and Reference Manager.

Format:

RIS — For EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and most other reference management software
BibTeX — For JabRef, BibDesk, and other BibTeX-specific software

Include:

Citation for the content below
Citation and abstract for the content below

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Clin Nutr Res. 2021;10(3):181-191. Published online July 20, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2021.10.3.181

Download Citation

Download a citation file in RIS format that can be imported by all major citation management software, including EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and Reference Manager.

Format:

RIS — For EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and most other reference management software
bib — For JabRef, BibDesk, and other BibTeX-specific software

Include:

Citation for the content below
Citation and abstract for the content below

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Clin Nutr Res. 2021;10(3):181-191. Published online July 20, 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2021.10.3.181

Figure

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Figure 1 Suggested mechanisms for the association of vitamin D and microbiota.RXR, retinoid X receptor; VDR, vitamin D receptor; VDRE, vitamin D response element; ZO, zonula occludens; TLR, Toll-like receptor; NOD, nucleotide oligomerization domain; NF-κB, nuclear factor kappa B; LPS, lipopolysaccharides.

Figure 1

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Table 1 Summary of animal studies

Table 2 Summary of interventional and observational human studies

PCR, polymerase chain reaction; rRNA, ribosomal ribonucleic acid; NR, not reported; RT-PCR, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Articles

Page Path

Vitamin D and The Gut Microbiota: a Narrative Literature Review

Full Article

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Summary of animal studies

Summary of interventional and observational human studies

VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: ANIMAL STUDIES

VITAMIN D AND MICROBIOTA: HUMAN STUDIES

CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF EVIDENCE

Suggested mechanisms for the association of vitamin D and microbiota.

CONCLUSION

NOTES

REFERENCES

Figure & Data

References

Citations

CITE

Download Citation

Format:

Include:

Figure

Figure 1

Table 1

Table 2

ABOUT

BROWSE ARTICLES

EDITORIAL POLICIES

FOR CONTRIBUTORS