A Surprising New Finding: Whole-Body Cryotherapy Affects Blood Vitamin D Levels in People with Multiple Sclerosis

Are you monitoring your vitamin D levels? We have long known that low vitamin D levels increase the risk for developing autoimmune disease, mental health problems, and other health challenges. But a recent scientific paper, “Whole-Body Cryotherapy Affects Blood Vitamin D Levels in People with Multiple Sclerosis,”⁽¹⁾ caught my attention—it offers a whole new way to think about vitamin D.

Vitamin D is made in our bodies in response to ultraviolet light shining on our skin. The kidney and liver activate the form of vitamin D absorbed in this way, converting it to calcitriol (the fully active form of vitamin D).⁽²⁾ Calcitriol regulates calcium and phosphorus in teeth and bones; it also regulates the immune system, helping to calm it. Calcitriol also protects the brain—it reduces inflammation, supports brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF), and calms the neurotransmitters.⁽²⁾

This study examined the effect of whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) on vitamin D levels in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), alongside healthy women without neurological or chronic disease. The RRMS and healthy control women underwent WBC for a maximum of three minutes, three times a week, for a total of 20 sessions. The RRMS women who did not receive cryotherapy had their blood drawn once, while the women who received the 20 cryotherapy sessions had blood drawn before and after the WBC treatments were completed.

In the women with RRMS who underwent WBC, there was a notable increase in vitamin D levels (11.85 ng/mL), while the healthy women saw a statistically insignificant increase after WBC (2.19 ng/mL). Notably, the RRMS women presented with higher baseline vitamin D levels than the healthy control group; however, these differences were not statistically significant.

Other studies of whole-body cryotherapy have found that it lowers markers of inflammation, including C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein produced by the liver in response to inflammation in the body. Cryotherapy has also been shown to increase the activity of the muscle-building genes PCG-1Alpha.⁽³⁾ Utilizing WBC leads to a reduction in the biomarkers of inflammation in the blood (CRP, IL-6) as well as improvements in interleukin 10 (IL-10), an anti-inflammatory cytokine.⁽⁴⁾ In addition, both whole-body and localized cryotherapy can help reduce chronic pain, including pain related to rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis,⁽⁵⁾ and restless legs.⁽⁶⁾

What Does the Whole-Body Cryotherapy Study Mean for People with MS and Chronic Disease?

Whole-body cryotherapy appears to be a useful adjunct to reduce inflammation and chronic pain. It also seems to have a modest, but beneficial, effect on vitamin D levels.

You can ease into cold therapy at home by taking a cool shower or bath, and slowly working to decrease the water temperature and increase your time. I also recommend monitoring your vitamin D level, aiming for the top half of your lab’s reference range.

Vitamin D requires magnesium, vitamin K2, and vitamin A to optimally bring minerals into the teeth and bones. A majority of Americans do not take in enough magnesium or vitamin K2; for these reasons I recommend taking a supplemental magnesium like Better Brain Mag along with supplemental vitamin D that also contains vitamin K2, such as D3K2 5000.

Consider exploring cold exposure. It can help reduce your inflammation, control chronic pain, improve muscle-building and vitamin D levels. And don’t be discouraged if you can only last a few seconds—you’ll build up your tolerance the more you do it.

Citations

1. Ptaszek B, Podsiadlo S, Czerwinska-Ledwig O, Teleglow A. Whole-Body Cryotherapy Affects Blood Vitamin D Levels in People with Multiple Sclerosis. J Clin Med. 2025;14(9).
2. Bikle DD. Vitamin D: Production, Metabolism, and Mechanism of Action. In: Feingold KR, Adler RA, Ahmed SF, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, Chrousos G, et al., editors. Endotext. South Dartmouth (MA)2000.
3. Slivka DR, Dumke CL, Tucker TJ, Cuddy JS, Ruby B. Human mRNA response to exercise and temperature. Int J Sports Med. 2012;33(2):94-100.
4. He J, Zhang X, Ge Z, Shi J, Guo S, Chen J. Whole-body cryotherapy can reduce the inflammatory response in humans: a meta-analysis based on 11 randomized controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):7759.
5. Garcia C, Karri J, Zacharias NA, Abd-Elsayed A. Use of Cryotherapy for Managing Chronic Pain: An Evidence-Based Narrative. Pain Ther. 2021;10(1):81-100.
6. Kasmi S, Filliard JR, Polidori G, Bouchet B, Blancheteau Y, Legrand FD. Effects of Whole-Body Cryostimulation (-90 degrees C) on Somnolence and Psychological Well-Being in an Older Patient with Restless Legs Syndrome. Appl Psychol Health Well Being. 2020;12(2):259-67.