Vitamin D: not just the bone. Evidence for beneficial pleiotropic extraskeletal effects.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to elucidate the effects of vitamin D on extraskeletal tissues and investigate its potential therapeutic benefits for metabolic and autoimmune diseases.
Results Summary
The study found that vitamin D regulates genes involved in cell differentiation and function, exerts pleiotropic effects on immune and cardiovascular systems, and may improve glucose metabolism and muscle/adipose tissue function. Higher serum levels of vitamin D than those for skeletal benefits may be needed for extraskeletal effects.
Population
Broad group of pathological conditions, particularly metabolic and autoimmune diseases (specific population not detailed).
Effective Dosage
Not specified (focus on serum levels rather than dosage).
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
vitamin D | neutral | calcium-phosphorus and bone homeostasis | - | - | plays a central role in maintaining | #1 |
vitamin D endocrine system | neutral | several genes (about 3 % of the human genome) involved in cell differentiation, cell-cycle control, and cell function | - | - | regulates | #2 |
vitamin D | neutral | extraskeletal target tissues, such as immune and cardiovascular system, pancreatic endocrine cells, muscle, and adipose tissue | - | - | exerts noncalcemic/pleiotropic effects on | #3 |
vitamin D supplementation | neutral | various autoimmune diseases | - | - | demonstrated the role in the prevention/treatment of | #4 |
vitamin D supplementation | neutral | glucose metabolism, muscle, and adipose tissue function | - | - | demonstrated the role in the improvement of | #5 |
vitamin D | neutral | extraskeletal target tissues | - | - | elucidate the effects on | #6 |
vitamin D supplementation | neutral | a broad group of pathological conditions, especially with regard to metabolic and autoimmune diseases | - | - | investigate the potential therapeutic benefit of | #7 |
vitamin D | neutral | extraskeletal benefits | - | - | best daily intakes and serum levels required for | #8 |
vitamin D | increase | skeletal effects | - | - | appear to be higher than those widely accepted for | #9 |
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and a steroid hormone that plays a central role in maintaining calcium-phosphorus and bone homeostasis in close interaction with parathyroid hormone, acting on its classical target tissues, namely, bone, kidney, intestine, and parathyroid glands. However, vitamin D endocrine system regulates several genes (about 3 % of the human genome) involved in cell differentiation, cell-cycle control, and cell function and exerts noncalcemic/pleiotropic effects on extraskeletal target tissues, such as immune and cardiovascular system, pancreatic endocrine cells, muscle, and adipose tissue. Several studies have demonstrated the role of vitamin D supplementation in the prevention/treatment of various autoimmune diseases and improvement of glucose metabolism, muscle, and adipose tissue function. Hence, this review aims to elucidate the effects of vitamin D on extraskeletal target tissues and to investigate the potential therapeutic benefit of vitamin D supplementation among a broad group of pathological conditions, especially with regard to metabolic and autoimmune diseases. In addition, we focused on the best daily intakes and serum levels of vitamin D required for extraskeletal benefits which, even if still controversial, appear to be higher than those widely accepted for skeletal effects.