Vitamina D

Sono sempre più numerosi gli studi che attribuiscono alla Vitamina D un ruolo importantissimo per il mantenimento della salute. Infatti, oltre alle consolidate funzioni sul metabolismo osseo (prevenzione rachitismo, osteomalacia e osteoporosi), ultimamente sono stati pubblicati diversi lavori interessanti che portano a ritenere che un deficit di questa vitamina sia implicato in:

Malattie cardiovascolari
Giovanucci E. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Risk of Myocardial Infarction in Men: A Prospective Study. Arch Intern Med. 2008;168(11):1174-1180
Conclusion: Low levels of 25(OH)D are associated with higher risk of myocardial infarction in a graded manner, even after controlling for factors known to be associated with coronary artery disease.

Diabete tipo 2
Hu FB. Vitamin D and Calcium Intake in Relation to Type 2 Diabetes in Women. Diabetes Care 29: 650-656
CONCLUSIONS— The results of this large prospective study suggest a potential beneficial role for both vitamin D and calcium intake in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes

Tumore alla prostata
Bao BY. Protective role of 1, alpha-25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 against oxidative stress in nonmalignant human prostate epithelial cells. International Journal of Cancer 2008; 122(12): 2699-2706
Together, our results showed that 1,25-VD can protect nonmalignant prostate cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death by elimination of ROS-induced cellular injuries through transcriptional activation of G6PD activity. The antioxidative effect of vitamin D strengthens its roles in cancer chemoprevention and adds to a growing list of beneficial effects of vitamin D against cancer.

Tumore al seno
Mohr SB. Relationship between Low Ultraviolet B Irradiance and Higher Breast Cancer Risk in 107 Countries The Breast Journal. Volume 14 Issue 3 Page 255-260
The dose-response gradient between modeled serum 25(OH)D levels and incidence rates of breast cancer followed a standard inverse dose-response curve. Increasing increments in serum 25(OH)D in the range above 22 ng/mL were associated with incrementally lower incidence rates of breast cancer.

Tumore al polmone
S B Mohr, C F Garland, E D Gorham, W B Grant, F C Garland. Could ultraviolet B irradiance and vitamin D be associated with lower incidence rates of lung cancer? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2008;62:69-74;
Background: This study examines whether insufficient ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiance, a marker of vitamin D inadequacy, might contribute to lung cancer incidence.
CONCLUSIONS: Lower levels of UVB irradiance were independently associated with higher incidence rates of lung cancer in 111 countries.

Depressione
Witte JG. Depression Is Associated With Decreased 25-Hydroxyvitamin D and Increased Parathyroid Hormone Levels in Older Adults. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2008;65(5):508-512
Conclusion The results of this large population-based study show an association of depression status and severity with decreased serum 25(OH)D levels and increased serum PTH levels in older individuals.