Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 2, 20133 Milan, Italy.
NFI-Nutrition Foundation of Italy, Viale Tunisia 38, 20124 Milan, Italy.
Molecules. 2021 Aug 31;26(17):5289. doi: 10.3390/molecules26175289.
Vitamin D is essential in assuring bone health at all stages of life, but its non-skeletal effects are also essential: This vitamin impacts the physiology of the immune system, skeletal muscles and adipose tissue, glucose metabolism, skin, cardiovascular and reproductive systems, neuro-cognitive functions and cell division. The incidence of vitamin D deficiency is widespread worldwide, at any age, in young and healthy subjects, as well as in pregnant women and the elderly population, due to several factors, including inadequate sunlight exposure, skin pigmentation and coverage, adiposity, lifestyle and low dietary intakes. To overcome this problem, the fortification of foods that are consumed on a daily basis, such as milk, is strongly advisable. This opinion paper aims to discuss, in a multidisciplinary way, the current evidence supporting the importance of vitamin D in health and disease and the role of milk as an optimal carrier of this vitamin, to promote adequate intakes, highlighting its unique physico-chemical characteristics linked to both fat globule membrane and casein micelle structure. Moreover, it addresses the impact of industrial processing and storage of consumption milk on the stability of these structures, thus in determining vitamin D bioavailability and the achievement of adequate intakes.
维生素 D 对于确保生命各个阶段的骨骼健康至关重要，但它的非骨骼作用也同样重要：这种维生素影响免疫系统、骨骼肌肉和脂肪组织、葡萄糖代谢、皮肤、心血管和生殖系统、神经认知功能和细胞分裂的生理学。由于多种因素，包括阳光照射不足、皮肤色素沉着和覆盖、肥胖、生活方式和低饮食摄入，维生素 D 缺乏症在全球范围内、在任何年龄、在年轻和健康的人群中以及在孕妇和老年人群中都很普遍。为了克服这个问题，强烈建议强化日常食用的食物，如牛奶，使其富含维生素 D。本观点文章旨在以多学科的方式讨论当前支持维生素 D 在健康和疾病中的重要性的证据，以及牛奶作为这种维生素的最佳载体的作用，以促进充足的摄入量，强调其与脂肪球膜和酪蛋白胶束结构相关的独特物理化学特性。此外，它还涉及到消费牛奶的工业加工和储存对这些结构稳定性的影响，从而影响维生素 D 的生物利用度和达到充足的摄入量。
