ArticleBMJ open gastroenterology2015
Vitamin D associates with improved quality of life in participants with irritable bowel syndrome: outcomes from a pilot trial.
Article in BMJ open gastroenterology, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
30 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 44 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of diet and nutrient intake in adults with irritable bowel syndrome.Neurogastroenterology and motility · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Vitamin D Supplementation and Mental Health in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- The Health Effects of Vitamin D and Probiotic Co-Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · 2020Pooled it
- Vitamin D status in irritable bowel syndrome and the impact of supplementation on symptoms: what do we know and what do we need to know?European journal of clinical nutrition · 2018Pooled it
- Vitamin D supplementation in people with IBS has no effect on symptom severity and quality of life: results of a randomised controlled trial.European journal of nutrition · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Vitamin D supplementation in adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome: Is it useful? A randomized controlled trial.Saudi journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Saudi Gastroenterology AssociationTrial
- Importance of vitamin D in gastrointestinal health and disease.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Combination of Vitamin D Plus Probiotic Affects Hormonal, and Inflammatory Markers in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome UndergoingInternational journal of fertility & sterility · 2025Article
- Vitamin D in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Exploring Its Role in Symptom Relief and Pathophysiology.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Article
- Screening of vitamin D deficiency in children with chronic functional constipation.Przeglad gastroenterologiczny · 2025Article
- Article
- Association of Vitamin D Deficiency and Insufficiency with Pathology in Hospitalized Patients.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Strategies for Producing Low FODMAPs Foodstuffs: Challenges and Perspectives.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Article
- Low Vitamin D Levels in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome of a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association · 2021Article
- Probiotics and Vitamin D/Vitamin D Receptor Pathway Interaction: Potential Therapeutic Implications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Review
- The Association Between Serum Vitamin D3 Levels and Autism Among Jordanian Boys.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundVitamin D deficiency has been associated or implicated with the pathophysiology of the gastrointestinal conditions inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, as well as with depression. No trials or epidemiology studies to date have investigated a link with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A single case report has suggested a benefit in IBS of vitamin D supplementation. We hypothesised that IBS participants with vitamin D insufficiency would benefit from repletion in terms of their IBS symptoms. We undertook a pilot trial to provide data to support a power calculation and to justify a full trial.
methodsThis was a randomised, double blinded, three-arm parallel design trial of vitamin D, placebo or a combination of vitamin D and probiotics. Participants were further stratified according to whether they were vitamin D replete or insufficient. Vitamin D status was determined by blood test at baseline and exit; IBS symptoms were assessed by validated questionnaire; dietary intakes were assessed by food frequency questionnaire.
resultsA significant proportion of the IBS population were vitamin D deficient, such that the replete stratum could not be adequately recruited. There was a significant association in the baseline data between circulating vitamin D level and quality of life ("How much has IBS affected your life?"). Supplementation significantly improved vitamin D level versus placebo. IBS symptoms were not significantly improved in this pilot, although a power calculation was enabled from the intervention data.
conclusionsThe IBS population exhibits significant levels of vitamin D insufficiency and would benefit from screening and possible supplementation. The impact of IBS on quality of life may be reduced by vitamin D level. Future trials should have a sample size of over 97. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ICTRN 6116003917.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.