title: Molecular Approaches for Optimizing Vitamin D Supplementation.
abstract: Vitamin D can be synthesized endogenously within UV-B exposed human skin. However, avoidance of sufficient sun exposure via predominant indoor activities, textile coverage, dark skin at higher latitude, and seasonal variations makes the intake of vitamin D fortified food or direct vitamin D supplementation necessary. Vitamin D has via its biologically most active metabolite 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and the transcription factor vitamin D receptor a direct effect on the epigenome and transcriptome of many human tissues and cell types. Different interpretation of results from observational studies with vitamin D led to some dispute in the field on the desired optimal vitamin D level and the recommended daily supplementation. This chapter will provide background on the epigenome- and transcriptome-wide functions of vitamin D and will outline how this insight may be used for determining of the optimal vitamin D status of human individuals. These reflections will lead to the concept of a personal vitamin D index that may be a better guideline for an optimized vitamin D supplementation than population-based recommendations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. Electronic address: carsten.carlberg@uef.fi.
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlberg
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D014807:Vitamin D
keywords: Epigenome; Evolutionary genetic adaption; Personalized nutrition; Transcriptome; VDR; Vitamin D