The Health Effects of Vitamin D and Probiotic Co-Supplementation: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
What this study found
Overall, vitamin D plus probiotics generally produced better outcomes than placebo or single-agent comparators, with benefits reported across psychiatric, metabolic, inflammatory, oxidative, and infant-care outcomes. In schizophrenia, combined supplementation improved PANSS scores and several metabolic and oxidative markers; in PCOS, it reduced BDI, BAI, GHQ, insulin, HOMA-IR, and hs-CRP while increasing HDL-C and 25-hydroxyvitamin D. In gestational diabetes, the high-dose vitamin D plus probiotic arm improved glucose control, insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, inflammatory and antioxidative…
- Study & population
- Systematic review of seven randomized controlled trials in infants/newborns, pregnant women, and adults with schizophrenia, osteopenia, gestational diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovarian syndrome, type 2 diabetes with coronary heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or infantile colic.
- Intervention
- Across seven randomized controlled trials, oral vitamin D3 was co-administered with probiotic capsules, most often for 6 to 12 weeks.
- Key limitation
- The evidence base was small, with only seven RCTs and typically short 6 to 12 week follow-up.
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Open PDFOriginal abstract
Evidence of synergic health effects of co-supplementation with vitamin D and probiotics is emerging. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses PRISMA statement, scientific databases and the grey literature were searched, and a narrative review and risk of bias assessment were conducted. Seven randomized controlled trials were included, which had low risk of bias. Six studies were double-blind, and once single-blind, extended over 6–12 weeks, and included 50–105 participants. Conditions explored included schizophrenia, gestational diabetes, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, osteopenia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and infantile colic. Supplementation frequency was daily or bi-monthly, with mainly vitamin D3, and Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Streptococcus. Comparators were placebo, vitamin D, lower vitamin D dose, and probiotics and lower vitamin D dose. The co-supplementation yielded greater health benefits than its comparators did in all studies except in one assessing IBS. Beneficial effects included decreased disease severity, improved mental health, metabolic parameters, mainly insulin sensitivity, dyslipidemia, inflammation, and antioxidative capacity, and lower use of healthcare. Co-supplementation of vitamin D and probiotics generated greater health benefits than its comparators did. More studies in other diseases and various populations are needed to confirm these findings and to elucidate the optimal form, composition, and frequency of this co-supplementation.