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Vitamin D in the new millennium.
1Physiology & Integrative Biology, Endocrinology, Metabolism & Nutrition, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA. wimalasu@umdnj.edu
Current Osteoporosis Reports
|January 18, 2012
Summary
Vitamin D deficiency is a growing global health concern. Supplementation, typically 600-2000 IU daily, is crucial for bone health and may benefit numerous other bodily systems.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Vitamin D deficiency is a widespread, often undiagnosed, global health issue.
- Supplemental vitamin D (greater than 800 IU/day) benefits the musculoskeletal system, reducing falls and fractures.
- Emerging evidence suggests vitamin D impacts extraskeletal systems, including immune, autoimmune, and metabolic health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current understanding of vitamin D deficiency and its health implications.
- To define vitamin D sufficiency levels and recommended supplementation dosages.
- To explore the role of vitamin D in both skeletal and nonskeletal health.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of published reports on vitamin D deficiency, supplementation, and health outcomes.
- Analysis of evidence supporting beneficial effects on musculoskeletal and extraskeletal systems.
- Examination of recommended serum levels for vitamin D sufficiency [25(OH)D > 30 ng/mL].
Main Results:
- Most individuals require 600-2000 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation to achieve sufficiency.
- Higher doses (up to 5000 IU/day) are considered safe.
- Specific populations (elderly, dark-skinned, obese, malabsorption syndromes) may need higher intake levels.
Conclusions:
- Vitamin D sufficiency is essential for overall health, impacting bone and extraskeletal systems.
- Adequate vitamin D intake, through supplementation, is necessary to combat deficiency and its associated risks.
- Further research is warranted to fully elucidate the cause-effect relationships between vitamin D and nonskeletal disorders.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The skin plays a crucial role in the synthesis of vitamin D, a vital nutrient for various physiological processes in the body. Vitamin D is unique because it can be synthesized in the skin through a series of chemical reactions triggered by exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight.
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin D3(cholecalciferol).
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin D3(cholecalciferol).
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Vitamin A
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Vitamin B12
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