Vitamin D2 May Improve Quality of Life for People With Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis can be a crippling disease, hindering movement and causing pain in people who suffer from it.  A recent study suggests that taking a high dose supplement of vitamin D2 may help improve pain scores and quality of life for people with knee osteoarthritis.

Participants in the study included 175 people with knee osteoarthritis. Over the course of six months, they were given 40,000 IU of vitamin D2 per week. The researchers analyzed body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, serum 25(OH)D level, leptin, interlukin-6 (IL-6), parathyroid hormone (PTH), protein carbonyl, and metabolic profiles of the participants.

At the conclusion of the study, the participants saw significant improvements in grip strength, physical performance, self-assessed quality of life scores and pain.

Researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand led the study. It was published on July 28, 2017, in Nutrients.

Vitamin D2 is one of two types of biologically inactive precursors of vitamin D that are transformed into the biologically active form of the vitamin in the liver and kidneys. It is produced by some plants in response to UV radiation. Previous studies suggest that vitamin D2 may help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, rickets, and osteomalacia.

Foods that are high in vitamin D2 include sockeye salmon, cod liver oil, fortified milk, eggs, orange juice, and fortified cereal.