The effects of vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency on the endocrine and paracrine systems.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative literature review without systematic methodology or original data
PubMed 17909164 · doi:10.1177/1099800407308057
What was done
This narrative review synthesizes literature on cutaneous vitamin D synthesis, factors limiting production (such as sunscreens and skin melanin), maternal-fetal and infant transmission of deficiency, and the clinical sequelae of deficiency and insufficiency across endocrine and paracrine systems.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It describes that sunscreen use and darker skin pigmentation reduce UVB-driven vitamin D synthesis, breastfed infants of deficient mothers face higher risk for nutritional rickets, deficiency leads to rickets, osteomalacia, and osteoporosis, and long-term insufficiency is linked to conditions including type 1 diabetes, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.
Why it matters
It provides an overview of the role of vitamin D beyond classic skeletal homeostasis, highlighting risk factors for inadequate synthesis and potential associations with chronic non-skeletal diseases.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks systematic search criteria, explicit study selection protocols, and quantitative meta-analytic pooling. Abstract details provide no primary sample size or numerical risk estimates.
Cited by
- supports Melanin acts as a natural sunscreen, requiring individuals with darker skin pigmentation to spend significantly more time in the sun to synthesize vitamin D.