McCollum Award Lecture, 1994: vitamin D--new horizons for the 21st century

Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 Oct;60(4):619-30. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/60.4.619.

Abstract

Vitamin D is absolutely essential for the maintenance of a healthy skeleton throughout our lives. There is mounting evidence that vitamin D insufficiency and vitamin D deficiency in elderly people is a silent epidemic that results in bone loss and fractures. It is casual exposure to sunlight that provides most humans with their vitamin D requirement. Seasonal changes, time of day, latitude, aging, sunscreen use, and melanin pigmentation can substantially influence the cutaneous production of vitamin D. Although the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin D in adults is 5 micrograms (200 IU), there is mounting evidence that in the absence of exposure to sunlight the vitamin D requirement is at least 15 micrograms (600 IU)/d. The skin is a target tissue for the active form of vitamin D (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol). 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol inhibits the proliferation of cultured keratinocytes and induces them to differentiate. 1,25-Dihydroxycholecalciferol and its analogs have been developed as an effective new therapy for the treatment of the hyperproliferative skin disease psoriasis.

Publication types

  • Historical Article
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Awards and Prizes
  • Calcitriol / pharmacology
  • Calcitriol / therapeutic use
  • History, 17th Century
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Photochemistry
  • Psoriasis / drug therapy
  • Rickets / etiology
  • Rickets / history
  • Skin / metabolism
  • Societies, Medical
  • Sunlight
  • United States
  • Vitamin D / physiology*

Substances

  • Vitamin D
  • Calcitriol