Background: Vitamin D supplementation could offer irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients significant improvements in terms of symptom severity and overall quality of life (QoL). Yet, the potential benefits and risks associated with vitamin D supplementation still require additional investigation.
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the impact of vitamin D supplementation on IBS using a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Material and methods: A comprehensive search was carried out utilizing 4 electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Library) to identify articles published in English-language peer-reviewed journals. The odds ratios (ORs), risk ratios (RRs) and mean differences (MDs), along with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs), were computed. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the appropriate p-value and Cochrane Q and I2 statistics. For the analysis, RevMan 5.3 was utilized.
Results: Nine randomized controlled trials involving a total of 780 participants were included in this study. Vitamin D supplementation, in adolescents and young adults with IBS, improves the IBS symptoms severity score, QoL and serum 25(OH)D levels compared to controls. We obtained an OR of 2.34 (95% CI: 1.56-3.50) for change in the IBS severity scoring system (IBS-SSS), OR = 2.51 (95% CI: 1.71-3.70) for change in QoL, low risk of any adverse events (RR 0.49 (95% CI: 0.35-0.69)), and substantial changes in serum 25(OH)D level (MD = 11.29 (95% CI: 7.13-15.45)). Results were statistically significant (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Vitamin D supplementation could lead to better IBS management with a low risk of adverse events.
Keywords: IBS severity score system; IBS symptom severity; IBS-specific QoL questionnaires; irritable bowel syndrome; vitamin-D supplementation.