As much of the world experiences a record-breaking heat wave, this \nSpotlight turns its attention to vitamin D, the so-called sunshine \nvitamin. Here, we inspect the latest research.
\nTropical sun
\nThe \u201csunshine vitamin\u201d has a range of surprising benefits.
\nVitamin D is a hot topic currently, with a raft of studies proclaiming its benefits for a variety of serious conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conversely, other recent studies have been more cautious, questioning its perceived usefulness for treating some illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D is a nutrient that is synthesized in our skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and it is also present in some foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but in the winter months, \nthe National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend topping up vitamin D \nlevels by eating vitamin D-containing foods each day. These include oily\n fish, fortified milk, beef liver, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified \nbreakfast cereals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What does vitamin D do?
\nScientists know that vitamin D is essential for many aspects of \nmaintaining good health and that deficiency is linked with problems for \nboth physical and mental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perhaps most notably, vitamin D helps to regulate the levels of \ncalcium in our bodies, strengthening our bones and preventing \nbone-weakening conditions, such as osteoporosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increasingly though, studies are also suggesting that vitamin D might\n have protective benefits against heart failure, diabetes, cancer, \nrespiratory tract infections, autoimmune disease, and even hair loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A surprisingly large number of people have insufficient levels of \nvitamin D. For instance, according to one study, more than 40 percent of\n adults in the United States are deficient. Because of its prevalence, \nit is important to determine what the public health implications of this\n epidemic might be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can vary between individuals, but \nthey typically include pain in the joints, muscles, or bones; fatigue; \nbreathing problems; and low mood or seasonal affective disorder (SAD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below, we run through a number of intriguing recent studies that \ninvestigate associations between vitamin D and an assortment of \nillnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D and heart failure
\nSeveral studies have suggested that vitamin D could offer protective \nbenefits against cardiovascular illness, but scientists have yet to \npinpoint what mechanisms are driving this association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recently, though, Medical News Today reported on a study that used a \nmouse model to investigate how a type of vitamin D, called \n1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, affects heart cells. In particular, the \nresearchers looked at the cells responsible for developing scar tissue \nfollowing a heart attack, called cardiac colony-forming unit fibroblasts\n (cCFU-Fs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
cCFU-Fs are an important area of study because, when heart tissue is \nscarred, the heart has a harder time pumping blood, which can lead to \nheart failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The researchers behind the study found that vitamin D inhibited the \naction of cCFU-Fs, which prevented scar tissue from building around the \nhearts of the mice in the study, potentially preventing blockages in the\n cardiovascular system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith further study,\u201d wrote the authors, \u201cvitamin D could prove to be\n an exciting, low-cost addition to current treatments, and we hope to \nprogress these findings into clinical trials for humans.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D and cancer
\nBreast cancer and bowel cancer have both been linked with cases of \nvitamin D deficiency in recent studies. One of these analyzed data from \ntwo randomized clinical trials and a prospective cohort study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The researchers found that high levels of vitamin D were inversely \nassociated with risk of breast cancer among women who were cancer-free \nat baseline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pink ribbon blue background
\nStudies suggest that vitamin D impacts breast cancer risk.
\nAccording to the study results, the higher the levels of vitamin D, the lower the risk of breast cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This relationship remained significant even after the results were \nadjusted for confounding factors, such as age, body mass index (BMI), \nintake of calcium supplements, and smoking habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although a link between vitamin D deficiency and colorectal cancer \nhas previously been reported, not all studies have been able to \nreplicate these findings. A new, large-scale study attempted to settle \nthis by drawing on data from three continents, including 5,700 \ncolorectal cancer cases and 7,100 controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\nThe researchers calculated that people whose levels of vitamin D fall \nbelow those specified in the current guidelines have a 31 percent \nincreased risk of developing bowel cancer. By contrast, those with \nvitamin D levels above the current recommended levels were 22 percent \nless likely to develop this cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D and belly fat
\nAnother recent study examined a previously observed link between obesity\n and lower levels of vitamin D, focusing in particular on how different \ntypes of body fat might interact with vitamin D.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The study authors reported that having excess belly fat was linked with lower levels of vitamin D:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c[T]he strong relationship between increasing amounts of abdominal \nfat and lower levels of vitamin D suggests that individuals with larger \nwaistlines are at a greater risk of developing deficiency and should \nconsider having their vitamin D levels checked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the study was not able to prove whether a deficiency in \nvitamin D causes fat to be stored around the belly, or if having belly \nfat somehow contributes to a deficiency in vitamin D. The researchers \nsay that future studies will attempt to determine cause and effect in \nthis relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D and Alzheimer\u2019s disease
\nA systematic review from researchers in Australia recently attempted to \nsettle the debate surrounding vitamin D\u2019s ability to protect against \nAlzheimer\u2019s. The systematic review analyzed more than 70 studies looking\n at the association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They concluded that there was no significant association between vitamin D deficiency and risk of Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Intriguingly, the authors did suggest that \u2014 based on their \nsystematic review \u2014 there may be an association between exposure to the \nsun\u2019s ultraviolet rays and protection against multiple sclerosis, \nParkinson\u2019s disease, and Alzheimer\u2019s, but that this may be independent \nof vitamin D production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors said that further studies would be needed to confirm \nthese links and identify the mechanism responsible for such \nassociations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vitamin D and chronic pain
\nOver the years, some scientists have theorized that low levels of vitamin D might cause or worsen chronic pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, in 2015, a group of scientists set out to collate existing evidence to examine the relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Woman in pain
\nCould vitamin D ease chronic pain?
\nThe resulting Cochrane review, updated in 2015, explains that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cObservational and circumstantial evidence suggests that there may be\n a role for vitamin D deficiency in the etiology of chronic painful \nconditions.\u201d The team scrutinized the findings from a number of studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Following the analysis, they concluded that the available scientific \nevidence is not strong enough to support a connection between vitamin D \ndeficiency and chronic pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The authors write, \u201cBased on this evidence, a large beneficial effect\n of vitamin D across different chronic painful conditions is unlikely. \nWhether vitamin D can have beneficial effects in specific chronic \npainful conditions needs further investigation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, as ever, more work will be needed to finally close the lid on this interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We hope this article has enhanced your understanding of the latest \nscientific thinking around this fascinating chemical. Please remember, \nhowever, that over-exposure to sunlight \u2014 especially the hot, midday sun\n \u2014 can result in skin damage and increase risk of skin cancer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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