Vitamin D is a hormone synthesized in the skin in the presence of sunlight. Like other hormones, vitamin D plays a role in a wide range of processes in the body. Here we review the possible role of vitamin D in nociceptive and inflammatory pain. In observational studies, low vitamin D levels have been associated with increased pain and higher opioid doses. Recent interventional studies have sho...

Background : Low vitamin D status is associated with reduced muscle strength, but the benefit of vitamin D supplementation is not clear. Objective : To study whether a daily supplement of vitamin D could improve grip strength. Design : A subtrial of a double-blinded, controlled trial studying the effect of vitamin D on the incidence of hip fractures and other osteoporosis fractures in a frail n...

OBJECTIVE Although vitamin D levels are not routinely monitored in pediatric fracture patients, identification of children with a vitamin D deficiency may be clinically relevant because of the potential role of vitamin D in fracture healing. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in a pediatric fracture population and to identify risk factors for deficiency. METH...

Previous studies have shown that supplementation of vitamin D3 to cow diets for 4 to 10 d before slaughter lowers Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values and increases sensory tenderness scores in beef cuts. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of vitamin D3 supplementation on muscle calcium concentration, WBSF values, and sensory tenderness ratings of LM and semitendinosus...

Calcium and vitamin D are essential components for bone health, thus calcium and vitamin D supplementation is an important strategy in the management of osteoporosis. However, the benefit of calcium and vitamin D supplementation on bone health is still controversial. Moreover, potentially harmful effects of excessive calcium supplementation on cardiovascular health are recently suggested. Too h...

BACKGROUND The Dutch Health Council advises a standard daily vitamin D supplementation of 800 IU (20 mcg) for persons aged ≥ 70 years, with a target 25(OH)D serum concentration of ≥ 50 nmol/l. This recommendation is in line with advice from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2011) and the Expert Working Group on vitamin D (2012). A target 25(OH)D serum concentration of ≥ 75 nmol/l is also recomme...

Vitamins D and K are both fat-soluble vitamins and play a central role in calcium metabolism. Vitamin D promotes the production of vitamin K-dependent proteins, which require vitamin K for carboxylation in order to function properly. The purpose of this review is to summarize available evidence of the synergistic interplay between vitamins D and K on bone and cardiovascular health. Animal and h...

Observational studies have mostly found a strong association of low plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), usually used to measure vitamin D status, with increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular death. However, recent Mendelian randomization studies and randomized intervention trials do not support a causal association of 25(OH)D or vitamin D supplementation with card...

In recent years, the interest of the scientific world towards vitamin D gradually increased, and several studies have been conducted to dissect its possible role in modulating the development/course of allergic diseases. Also, Vitamin D supplementation has been assessed as a beneficial approach for treating allergies in some, but not all studies. We reviewed herein the available and relevant li...

BACKGROUND Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent during pregnancy. It has been suggested that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may reduce the risk of adverse gestational outcomes. OBJECTIVES To update a previous meta-analysis on the effects of oral vitamin D supplementation (alone or in combination with other vitamins and minerals) during pregnancy on maternal 25(OH)D levels and ...