Abstract
Vitamin D deficiency is present in about 50 % of the population worldwide, which is mainly a consequence of reduced sun exposure (ultraviolet-B radiation) of the skin, that is needed for dermal vitamin D production. Dietary intake of vitamin D is usually too low to maintain a sufficient vitamin D status. Over the last few years it was shown that most tissues and cells express the vitamin D receptor supporting the notion that vitamin D exerts various effects beyond its established role for maintenance of bone and skeletal health. Epidemiological data show that 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, that are considered the best indicator of vitamin D status, are consistently associated with various diseases including cardiovascular, malignant and autoimmune diseases, but the causality of these associations, however, remains to be proven. Interventional trials are therefore urgently needed to elucidate whether vitamin D supplementation is useful for the prevention and/or treatment of various chronic diseases. Vitamin D supplementation has a great potential for the improvement of public health when considering the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and the easy, cheap and safe way by which vitamin D can be supplemented.
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