Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 21;22(4):2128. doi: 10.3390/ijms22042128.
Vitamin D, a fat-soluble prohormone, is endogenously synthesized in response to sunlight or taken from dietary supplements. Since vitamin D receptors are present in most tissues and cells in the body, the mounting understanding of the role of vitamin D in humans indicates that it does not only play an important role in the musculoskeletal system, but has beneficial effects elsewhere as well. This review summarizes the metabolism of vitamin D, the research regarding the possible risk factors leading to vitamin D deficiency, and the relationships between vitamin D deficiency and numerous illnesses, including rickets, osteoporosis and osteomalacia, muscle weakness and falls, autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, and neurological disorders. The system-wide effects of vitamin D and the mechanisms of the diseases are also discussed. Although accumulating evidence supports associations of vitamin D deficiency with physical and mental disorders and beneficial effects of vitamin D with health maintenance and disease prevention, there continue to be controversies over the beneficial effects of vitamin D. Thus, more well-designed and statistically powered trials are required to enable the assessment of vitamin D's role in optimizing health and preventing disease.
维生素 D 是一种脂溶性前体激素，可在阳光照射或从膳食补充剂中内源性合成。由于维生素 D 受体存在于体内大多数组织和细胞中，人们对维生素 D 在人体中作用的认识不断提高，表明其不仅在骨骼肌肉系统中发挥着重要作用，而且在其他方面也有益处。本文综述了维生素 D 的代谢、可能导致维生素 D 缺乏的危险因素的研究，以及维生素 D 缺乏与多种疾病的关系，包括佝偻病、骨质疏松症和骨软化症、肌肉无力和跌倒、自身免疫性疾病、传染病、心血管疾病 (CVDs)、癌症和神经紊乱。还讨论了维生素 D 的系统作用和疾病的机制。尽管越来越多的证据支持维生素 D 缺乏与身心障碍有关，以及维生素 D 对健康维护和疾病预防有益，但维生素 D 的有益作用仍存在争议。因此，需要进行更多设计合理、具有统计学效力的试验，以评估维生素 D 在优化健康和预防疾病方面的作用。
