Vitamin D supplementation, moderate sun exposure, and control of immune diseases.

Abstract

There is considerable debate about the benefits of vitamin D supplementation for multiple sclerosis, allergic asthma, and type 1 diabetes. This has been driven mainly by observational studies linking vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency with increased prevalence of autoimmune and other diseases driven by immune processes. Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation to treat these (and other) diseases have been disappointing. This review examines the evidence that circulating vitamin D levels provide a surrogate measure of sun exposure and that it is the other molecules and pathways induced by sun exposure, rather than vitamin D-driven processes, that explain many of the benefits often attributed to vitamin D.

• Authors: Prue H Hart
• Journal: Discovery medicine (Discov Med) Vol. 13 Issue 73 Pg. 397-404 (Jun 2012) ISSN: 1944-7930 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 22742645 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Vitamin D

Topics

• Autoimmune Diseases (metabolism, prevention & control)
• Dietary Supplements
• Humans
• Sunlight
• Vitamin D (metabolism, therapeutic use)
• Vitamin D Deficiency (complications, prevention & control)