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To conclude, our findings suggest an association between large-dose vitamin D supplementation in infancy and an increased risk of atopy, allergic rhinitis, and asthma later in life. Further study is required to determine whether these observations could imply that vitamin D supplementation in infancy may have long-term effects on immune regulation, or if they reflect some unmeasured determinants of vitamin D supplementation Infant vitamin d supplementation and allergic conditions in adulthood: northern Finland birth cohort 1966. Hyppönen E, Sovio U, Wjst M, Patel S, Pekkanen J, Hartikainen AL, Järvelinb MR. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2004 Dec;1037:84-95. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1337.013 PMID: 15699498

A critical review of Vitamin D and cancer: A report of the IARC Working Group on vitamin D William B. Grant Dermato-Endocrinology. Volume 1, Issue 1 January/February 2009 Pages: 25 - 33 The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report, Vitamin D and Cancer, on November 25, 2008. The report focused on the current state of knowledge and level of evidence of a causal association between vitamin D status and cancer risk. Although presenting and evaluating evidence for the beneficial role of UVB and vitamin D in reducing the risk of cancer, it discounted or omitted important evidence in support of the efficacy of vitamin D. The report largely dismissed or ignored ecological studies on the grounds that confounding factors might have affected the findings. The report accepted a preventive role of vitamin D in colorectal cancer but not for breast cancer.

White Europeans could have evolved as recently as 5,500 years ago, according to research which suggests that the early humans who populated Britain and Scandinavia had dark skins for millenniums. It was only when early humans gave up hunter-gathering and switched to farming about 5,500 years ago that white skin began to be favoured, say the researchers. This is because farmed food was deficient in vitamin D, a vital nutrient. Humans can make this in their skin when exposed to sunlight, but dark skin is much less efficient at it.

Role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Palomer X, González-Clemente JM, Blanco-Vaca F, Mauricio D. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2008 Mar;10(3):185-97. Review. PMID: 18269634 DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-1326.2007.00710.x Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to alter insulin synthesis and secretion in both humans and animal models. It has been reported that vitamin D deficiency may predispose to glucose intolerance, altered insulin secretion and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D replenishment improves glycaemia and insulin secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes with established hypovitaminosis D, thereby suggesting a role for vitamin D in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Current micronutrient recommendations in Europe: towards understanding their differences and similarities. Doets EL, de Wit LS, Dhonukshe-Rutten RA, Cavelaars AE, Raats MM, Timotijevic L, Brzozowska A, Wijnhoven TM, Pavlovic M, Totland TH, Andersen LF, Ruprich J, Pijls LT, Ashwell M, Lambert JP, van 't Veer P, de Groot LC. Eur J Nutr. 2008 Apr;47 Suppl 1:17-40. PMID: 18427858 DOI: 10.1007/s00394-008-1003-5 Full text: http://www.eurreca.org/downloadattachment/3199/1535/ejn%201003ov.pdf

Evidence from clinical trials shows, with a wide margin of confidence, that a prolonged intake of 10,000IU/d of vitamin D3 poses no risk of adverse effects for adults, even if this is added to a rather high physiologic background level of vitamin D. Vitamin D and cancer mini-symposium: the risk of additional vitamin D. Vieth R.\nAnn Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):441-5. Epub 2009 Apr 11. PMID: 19364661 doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.01.009

Global vitamin D status and determinants of hypovitaminosis D. Mithal A, Wahl DA, Bonjour JP, Burckhardt P, Dawson-Hughes B, Eisman JA, El-Hajj Fuleihan G, Josse RG, Lips P, Morales-Torres J; on behalf of the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors (CSA) Nutrition Working Group. Osteoporos Int. 2009 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 19543765 CONCLUSION: Reports from across the world indicate that hypovitaminosis D is widespread and is re-emerging as a major health problem globally.

Ecological studies of ultraviolet B, vitamin D and cancer since 2000. Grant WB, Mohr SB. Ann Epidemiol. 2009 Jul;19(7):446-54. Epub 2009 Mar 9. PMID: 19269856 CONCLUSION: These findings provide strong evidence that vitamin D status plays an important role in controlling the outcome of cancer. Support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer theory is now scientifically strong enough to warrant use of vitamin D in cancer prevention, and as a component of treatment. More research studies would help to explore whether there are benefits beyond the substantial effects that have been observed.

Vitamin D appears to boost health from head to toe, according to the September issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter. But, so far, there's no consensus on what level of vitamin D is optimal for good health.

Reversing bacteria-induced vitamin D receptor dysfunction is key to autoimmune disease. Waterhouse JC, Perez TH, Albert PJ. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2009 Sep;1173:757-65. PMID: 19758226

Meta-analysis: longitudinal studies of serum vitamin D and colorectal cancer risk. Yin L, Grandi N, Raum E, Haug U, Arndt V, Brenner H. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2009 Jul 1;30(2):113-25. Epub 2009 Apr 15. PMID: 19392870 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2009.04022.x Conclusions Our results support suggestions that serum 25(OH)D is inversely related to CRC risk.

Association between serum 25(OH)D and death from prostate cancer. Tretli S, Hernes E, Berg JP, Hestvik UE, Robsahm TE. Br J Cancer. 2009 Feb 10;100(3):450-4. Epub 2009 Jan 20. PMID: 19156140 doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604865 The serum level of 25(OH)D may be involved in disease progression and is a potential marker of prognosis in patients with prostate cancer.

Prospective study of predictors of vitamin D status and survival in patients with colorectal cancer K Ng, B M Wolpin, J A Meyerhardt, K Wu, A T Chan, B W Hollis, E L Giovannucci, M J Stampfer, W C Willett and C S Fuchs Br J Cancer 101: 916-923; advance online publication, August 18, 2009; doi:10.1038/sj.bjc.6605262

Differences in vitamin D status between countries in young adults and the elderly. McKenna MJ. Am J Med. 1992 Jul;93(1):69-77. PMID: 1385673 PURPOSE: To compare vitamin D status between countries in young adults and in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reports on vitamin D status (as assessed by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D) from 1971 to 1990 were reviewed. Studies were grouped according to geographic regions: North America (including Canada and the United States); Scandinavia (including Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden); and Central and Western Europe (including Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom). RESULTS: Vitamin D status varies with the season in young adults and in the elderly, and is lower during the winter in Europe than in both North America and Scandinavia. Oral vitamin D intake is lower in Europe than in both North America and Scandinavia. Hypovitaminosis D and related abnormalities in bone chemistry are most common in elderly residents in Europe but are reported in all elderly populations. CONCLUSIONS: The vitamin D status in young adults and the elderly varies widely with the country of residence. Adequate exposure to summer sunlight is the essential means to ample supply, but oral intake augmented by both fortification and supplementation is necessary to maintain baseline stores. All countries should adopt a fortification policy. It seems likely that the elderly would benefit additionally from a daily supplement of 10 micrograms of vitamin D.

Prostate cancer risk and prediagnostic serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels (Finland). Ahonen MH, Tenkanen L, Teppo L, Hakama M, Tuohimaa P. Cancer Causes Control. 2000 Oct;11(9):847-52. PMID: 11075874 DOI: 10.1023/A:1008923802001 CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that low levels of 25-VD associated with an increased risk for subsequent earlier exposure and more aggressive development of prostate cancer, especially before the andropause.

An international comparison of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D measurements. Lips P, Chapuy MC, Dawson-Hughes B, Pols HA, Holick MF. Osteoporos Int. 1999;9(5):394-7. PMID: 10550457 DOI: 10.1007/s001980050162 The results show that 25(OH)D values from different laboratories can not be assumed to be comparable unless a careful cross-calibration has been performed.

A high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Finnish medical in- and outpatients. Kauppinen-Mäkelin R, Tähtelä R, Löyttyniemi E, Kärkkäinen J, Välimäki MJ. J Intern Med. 2001 Jun;249(6):559-63. PMID: 11422663 DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00847.x CONCLUSION: Hypovitaminosis D is very common amongst Finnish in- and outpatients in both sexes, causing secondary hyperparathyroidism in females. More extensive studies are warranted to elucidate the vitamin D status of the Finnish population.

Vitamin D and the epidemiology of prostate cancer. Schwartz GG. Semin Dial. 2005 Jul-Aug;18(4):276-89. Review. PMID: 16076349 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-139X.2005.18403.x

Half of the patients with an acute hip fracture suffer from hypovitaminosis D: a prospective study in southeastern Finland. Nurmi I, Kaukonen JP, Lüthje P, Naboulsi H, Tanninen S, Kataja M, Kallio ML, Leppilampi M. Osteoporos Int. 2005 Dec;16(12):2018-24. Epub 2005 Aug 24. PMID: 16133642 Half of the patients with a hip fracture suffered from hypovitaminosis D. The situation was worst in institutional and residential care, although there are personnel for taking care of vitamin D supplementation. In the late summer, one-third and in late winter two-thirds of the patients suffered from hypovitaminosis D. The geographical location of Finland indicates extensive efforts to increase the use of vitamin D supplements among elderly.

Vitamin D fortification as public health policy: significant improvement in vitamin D status in young Finnish men. Laaksi IT, Ruohola JP, Ylikomi TJ, Auvinen A, Haataja RI, Pihlajamäki HK, Tuohimaa PJ. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006 Aug;60(8):1035-8. Epub 2006 Feb 15. PMID: 16482069