The role of vitamin D in reducing gastrointestinal disease risk and assessment of individual dietary intake needs: Focus on genetic and genomic technologies

Mol Nutr Food Res. 2016 Jan;60(1):119-33. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500243. Epub 2015 Aug 28.

Abstract

With the endogenous formation of vitamin D being significantly curtailed because of public awareness of skin cancer dangers, attention is turning to dietary sources. Cumulative evidence has implicated vitamin D deficiency in increasing susceptibility to various gastrointestinal disorders, including colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases, diverticulitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. There is also reason to suggest adjunct vitamin D therapy for such diseases. Although there is justification for increasing vitamin D intake overall, optimal intakes will vary among individuals. Genomic technologies have revealed several hundreds of genes associated with vitamin D actions. The nature of these genes emphasizes the potentially negative implications of modulating vitamin D intakes in the absence of complementary human genetic and genomic data, including information on the gut microbiome. However, we are not yet in a position to apply this information. Genomic data (transcriptomics, metabolomics, proteomics, and metagenomics) could provide evidence that vitamin D sufficiency has been achieved. We suggest that there is an increasingly strong case for considering the more widespread use of vitamin D fortified foods and/or dietary supplements to benefit gastrointestinal health. However, intake levels might beneficially be informed by personalized genetic and genomic information, for optimal disease prevention and maintenance of remission.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cost-Benefit Analysis
  • Diet
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Food, Fortified*
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / blood
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / complications
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Gastrointestinal Microbiome / drug effects
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / drug effects
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / metabolism
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology
  • Genomics
  • Humans
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Nutritional Requirements
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Risk Factors
  • Vitamin D / administration & dosage*
  • Vitamin D / blood
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / blood
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / complications
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / drug therapy

Substances

  • Vitamin D