What Is the Link Between Vitamin D and Psoriatic Arthritis?

Amanda Gardner
·5 min read

Many people with psoriatic arthritis have low vitamin D levels.

Medically reviewed by David Ozeri, MD

Some evidence suggests a link between vitamin D and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), which causes painful, swollen, and stiff joints. PsA affects nearly 3% of people with psoriasis, an inflammatory skin disease. Often, people with psoriasis and PsA have low vitamin D levels.

Your body naturally produces vitamin D when you go outside in the sunlight. Other vitamin D sources include foods—such as egg yolks, fortified cereal and milk, and saltwater fish—and supplements.

Research has found that vitamin D in food, sunlight, supplements, and topical medicines may alleviate psoriasis and PsA symptoms. Vitamin D helps prevent conditions related to psoriasis and PsA, such as high blood pressure.

Read on to learn whether experts advise increasing vitamin D to treat psoriasis and PsA.



Standard Disclaimer

Dietary supplements are minimally regulated by the FDA and may or may not be suitable for you. The effects of supplements vary from person to person and depend on many variables, including type, dosage, frequency of use, and interactions with current medications. Please speak with a healthcare provider or pharmacist before starting any supplements.



<p>AND-ONE/Getty Images</p>

AND-ONE/Getty Images

The Link Between Vitamin D and Psoriasis

Some evidence suggests a link between psoriasis and vitamin D.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that causes skin cells to grow faster than usual. As a result, people with psoriasis develop itchy, sore, thick red patches of skin and silvery scales. Some people with psoriasis have PsA, which causes painful, stiff, and swollen joints.

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that aids immune, nerve, and muscle functions. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium, which supports strong bones.

Your body naturally creates vitamin D when you go outside in the sunlight. Too much sun exposure can increase your risk of premature aging and skin cancer. Other sources of vitamin D include foods like egg yolks, fortified cereal and milk, and saltwater fish and supplements.

A review published in 2017 noted that vitamin D plays an anti-inflammatory role in the body. The researchers noted that low vitamin D levels in people with psoriasis may drive inflammation and quick skin cell growth.

Potential Benefits of Taking Vitamin D for Psoriatic Arthritis

In theory, taking Vitamin D might have possible benefits for PsA, such as alleviating painful joints and inflammation. However, not enough studies have established these benefits and taking vitamin D for PsA is not the standard of care.

Nearly 20% of people with psoriasis have PsA. Vitamin D may slow skin cell growth and help ease psoriasis symptoms. Dovonex (calcipotriol) and Vectical (calcitriol) are topical medicines that help treat psoriasis. Calcipotriol and calcitriol are forms of vitamin D.

Psoriasis and PsA might raise the risk of high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Those risk factors include:

  • Excess abdominal fat

  • High blood pressure

  • High blood sugar

  • High triglycerides

  • Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol

Research has found that vitamin D supplements help prevent high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome. Still, there’s limited research to support vitamin D supplementation in people with psoriasis and PsA.

Related: The Best Plaque Psoriasis Treatments, According to Dermatologists

Should You Take Vitamin D if You Have Psoriatic Arthritis?

The Arthritis Foundation lists vitamin D supplements as an alternate treatment for PsA.

Consulting a healthcare provider before starting a vitamin D supplement is essential. Too much vitamin D may pose health risks. A healthcare provider can order a blood test to determine whether you have a vitamin D deficiency.

Some evidence suggests that adding vitamin D-rich foods to your diet and getting sunshine may help ease painful joints and inflammation in people with PsA. Still, the research remains open to question.

Dosage

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) advises that adults take no more than 100 micrograms of vitamin D daily. Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. As a result, too much vitamin D increases the risk of hypercalcemia, too much calcium in your blood.

Hypercalcemia may cause symptoms like:

  • Dehydration

  • Excess thirst and urine

  • Kidney stones, or tiny crystals in the kidneys that cause back, groin, and stomach pain

  • Loss of appetite

  • Nausea

  • Neurological and psychiatric concerns (e.g., anxiety, changes in personality, and seizures)

  • Pain

  • Vomiting

  • Weak muscles

Vitamin D toxicity is rare. Generally, vitamin D supplements do not contain more than 100 micrograms of the nutrient. Manufacturing errors and taking more than the recommended dose raise the risk of toxicity.

Getting too much vitamin D from the sun is unlikely. In contrast, excess vitamin D may come from artificial UV radiation and tanning beds.

Eating a lot of calcium-rich foods, about 2,000 milligrams daily, with as much as 19 micrograms of vitamin D may raise your kidney stones risk.

Sources of Vitamin D

In addition to sunlight and supplements, you can get vitamin D from the foods you eat. Of note: Very few foods have vitamin D, and many natural sources are animal products. Choosing products fortified with vitamin D is essential if you do not eat dairy, fish, or meat.

Vitamin D-rich foods that you can add to your plate include:

  • Canned Atlantic sardines, drained: 1.2 micrograms (mcg) per two sardines, or 6% of your daily value (DV)

  • Cereal, fortified with vitamin D: 2mcg per serving, or 10% DV

  • Cooked sockeye salmon: 14.2mcg per 3 ounces, or 71% DV

  • Milk, fortified with vitamin D, with 2% milkfat: 2.9mcg per cup, or 15% DV

  • Raw portabella mushrooms, diced: 0.1mcg per 1/2 cup, or 1% DV

  • Scrambled eggs: 1.1mcg per large egg, or 6% DV

Related: What Are the Best and Worst Foods for Psoriatic Arthritis?

A Quick Review

Many people with PsA have low vitamin D levels. Some experts advise increasing vitamin D intake to alleviate painful joints and inflammation in people with PsA. Sources of vitamin D include food, sunlight, supplements, and topical medicines.

Consult a healthcare provider before starting a vitamin D supplement. Too much vitamin D may raise your risk of toxicity and excess calcium in your blood.

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