A team of scientists at McGill University and the Université de Montréal have suggested that vitamin D supplements could prevent and combat the effects of Crohn's Disease.

"It's reasonable to think that Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to the frequency of the disease", White said. "Siblings of patients with Crohn's disease that haven't yet developed the disease might be well advised to make sure they're Vitamin D sufficient".

However, the discovery has yet to be confirmed by clinical trials, but it has triggered hopes for the estimated 170,000 Canadians suffering with either Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Canada reports the highest rates in the world for Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder that usually affects the lower small intestine.

In the study, White and his colleagues treated cancer cells in the lab with Vitamin D, and then initiated a micro-array or genetic analysis of those cells. The outcome revealed Vitamin D switched on two genes that are vital components in combating Crohn's disease.

Marc Servant, a co-author of the study, was more optimistic about Vitamin D's potential.

However, White has conveyed warnings that people should not view Vitamin D as a miracle cure, claiming that more research is yet to be initiated on its effects.