William Burgess Grant

Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center

D:\Downloads\GrantBoucherRevitDpoorhealthJIM.pdf

Introduction: All epidemiological studies suggest that vitamin D deficiency is prevalent among the Polish general population. Since vitamin D deficiency was shown to be among the risk factors for many diseases and for all-cause mortality, concern about this problem led us to update the previous Polish recommendations. Methods: After reviewing the e...

This interventional study aimed to determine whether correcting vitamin D status in deficient Arab adults [25(OH)D <50 nmol/L] improves their 10-year risk of Atherosclerotic Cardio-vascular Disease (ASCVD) risk scores. Saudi adults (58 males 62 females) with baseline vitamin D deficiency (<50 nmol/L) were given 50,000 IU cholecalciferol weekly for...

MY LIFE AS A VITAMIN D RESEARCHER

Vitamin D insufficiency impacts about half of the population worldwide. Almost one billion individuals across all ages and ethnicities suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Hypovitaminosis D is mainly related to lifestyle choices and habits, such as outdoor activities and food intake. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between vitamin D st...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the ongoing worldwide pandemic, has cost the lives of almost 5 [...]

Background: The Game of Thrones fiction is particularly marked by an alarmist maxim, "Winter is coming", which highlights the fear of Westeros inhabitants as Winter approaches. The threat is such that Winter has been given the face of the Night King, whose progress threatens all life north of Westeros. The objective of this narrative review was to...

The systematic review by Coelho-Junior et al. found that frail older adults consumed significantly less animal-derived protein than healthy people [...]

Vitamins and certain minerals are micronutrients required for life. Vitamins are generally substances that the human body cannot make from other components of the diet. Vitamin D is an exception, but is generally treated as a vitamin. While most can be obtained through dietary sources, the amounts in many diets are not high enough for optimal healt...

The communication by Thiele et al. reported that there were no significant differences in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) for the 22 of 118 acute heart failure (HF) patients, 71% with de novo HF and 29% with chronic HF, who died within 12 months after admission to the intermediate care unit of a maximum care hospital in Germany compared to thos...

Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels <20 ng/mL in serum) is a common health condition among pregnant women, especially in high-risk groups. Evidence has connected vitamin D levels with many health-related problems during pregnancy, including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Because of vitamin D’s effect on both mot...

A symposium entitled "Vitamin D in Prevention and Therapy" was held on May 4-5, 2022, in Homburg, Germany to discuss important new advances in the field, including identification of new vitamin D signaling pathways, of new biologic effects of vitamin D-compounds (e.g., on the microbiome), and convincing proof of the relevance of vitamin D deficienc...

Although observational studies of health outcomes generally suggest beneficial effects with, or following, higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have generally not supported those findings. Here we review results from observational studies and RCTs regarding how vitamin D status affects sever...

UNSTRUCTURED The article by Quinn and colleagues claimed that YouTube presentations regarding COVID-19 and vitamin D were rife with misinformation, such as stating that vitamin D has preventative or curative abilities. According to that article, many of the vitamin D recommendations did not align with the current literature for 13 attributes. As ou...

Vitamin D has well-defined classical functions related to metabolism and bone health but also has non-classical effects that may influence pregnancy. Maternal morbidity remains a significant health care concern worldwide, despite efforts to improve maternal health. Nutritional deficiencies of vitamin D during pregnancy are related to adverse pregna...

Citation: Morales-Suárez-Varela, M.M.; Uçar, N.; Peraita-Costa, I.; Huertas, M.F.; Soriano, J.M.; Llopis-Morales, A.; Grant, W.B.

Recent studies showed that a low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was associated with a higher risk of morbidity and severe course of COVID-19. Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of cholecalciferol supplementation on the clinical features and inflammatory markers in patients with COVID-19. A serum 25(OH)D level was determined in 311 COVID-1...

Many diseases have large seasonal variations in which winter overall mortality rates are about 25% higher than in summer in mid-latitude countries, with cardiovascular diseases and respiratory infections and conditions accounting for most of the variation. Cancers, by contrast, do not usually have pronounced seasonal variations in incidence or mort...

Preventing the Adverse Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 through Diet, Supplements and Lifestyle

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly become a global pandemic. Reports from different parts of the world indicate that a significant proportion of people who have recovered from COVID-19 are suffering from various health problems collectively referred to as “long COVID-19”. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joi...

This is a narrative review of the evidence supporting vitamin D’s anticancer actions. The first section reviews the findings from ecological studies of cancer with respect to indices of solar radiation, which found a reduced risk of incidence and mortality for approximately 23 types of cancer. Meta-analyses of observational studies reported the inv...

At the beginning of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, global efforts focused on containing the spread of the virus and avoiding contagion. Currently, it is evident that health professionals should deal with the overall health status of COVID-19 survivors. Indeed, novel findings have identified post-COVID-19 syndrome, which is characteriz...

Vitamin D is important for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency could be linked to noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its associated risk factors among female migrants from Philippines, Arab, and South Asian countries residing in the Unit...

The health effects of vitamin D supplementation [by Bouillon, R. et al. Nat Rev. Endocrinol.: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00647-w (2022)] reported that vitamin D supplementation of vitamin D-replete adults (with baseline serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) >50 nmol/L) does not reduce cancer, cardiovascular events, falls, or p...

availabloe from frst author, WB Grant, I expect, B J Boucher

Vitamin D3 has many important health benefits. Unfortunately, these benefits are not widely known among health care personnel and the general public. As a result, most of the world's population has serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations far below optimal values. This narrative review examines the evidence for the major causes of death i...

In the last 2 years, observational studies have shown that a low 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level affected the severity of infection with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This study aimed to analyze the potential effect of vitamin D supplementation in reducing SARS-CoV-2 infection morbidity and severity in health care workers. Of 128 health car...

The article by D’Avolio and colleagues [...]

Vitamin D has many effects on cells in the immune system. Many studies have linked low vitamin D status with severity of COVID-19. Genetic variants involved in vitamin D metabolism have been implicated as potential risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes. This study investigated how genetic variations in humans affected the clinical presentation...

The results of a pilot randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of calcifediol [25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D3)] treatment of 106 COVID-19 patients in Iran are presented in an article in this issue (1). The primary significant effects of calcifediol treatment were an increase in lymphocyte percentage and decrease in the ratio of n...

We evaluated associations between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level and severity of new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in hospitalized patients. We assessed serum 25(OH)D level in 133 patients aged 21–93 years. Twenty-five (19%) patients had severe disease, 108 patients (81%) had moderate disease, and 18 (14%) patients died. 25(OH)D level...

SARS-CoV-2 infects the respiratory tract and leads to the disease entity, COVID-19. Accordingly, the lungs bear the greatest pathologic burden with the major cause of death being respiratory failure. However, organs remote from the initial site of infection (e.g., kidney, heart) are not spared, particularly in severe and fatal cases. Emerging evide...

Purpose This study aims to investigate the association between vitamin D measured in serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and outcomes of COVID-19 patients in Bahrain. This paper hypothesized that lower serum 25(OH)D concentration in COVID 19 patients is associated with longer viral clearance time (VCT) and higher risk of admission to the intensive...

Insufficient blood levels of the neurohormone vitamin D are associated with increased risk of COVID-19 severity and mortality. Despite the global rollout of vaccinations and promising preliminary results, the focus remains on additional preventive measures to manage COVID-19. Results conflict on vitamin D’s plausible role in preventing and treating...

African Americans have higher incidence of, and mortality from, many health-related problems than European Americans. They also have a 15 to 20-fold higher prevalence of severe vitamin D deficiency. Here we summarize evidence that: (i) this health disparity is partly due to insufficient vitamin D production, caused by melanin in the skin blocking t...

The COVID-19 pandemic is having major economic and personal consequences for collegiate and professional sports. Sporting events have been canceled or postponed, and even when baseball and basketball seasons resumed in the United States recently, no fans were in attendance. As play resumed, several players developed COVID-19, disrupting some of the...

Vitamin D deficiency co-exists in patients with COVID-19. At this time, dark skin color, increased age, the presence of pre-existing illnesses and vitamin D deficiency are features of severe COVID disease. Of these, only vitamin D deficiency is modifiable. Through its interactions with a multitude of cells, vitamin D may have several ways to reduce...

The purpose of this study to estimate cumulative vitamin D doses from solar ultraviolet and dietary intakes in patients with depression and compare it to healthy controls. Using a case-control research design, a sample of 96 patients with depression were age-and sex-matched with 96 healthy controls. Dietary vitamin D dose was estimated from diet an...

Over the past two decades, the understanding of the roles of vitamin D has expanded to include many nonskeletal effects such as reduced risk of acute respiratory tract infections, autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, neurological diseases, and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. The role of vitamin D for optimal...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of dysfunctions in social interaction, communication, and behaviors. The etiology of ASD is not yet fully understood; however, it consists of the interaction between genetics and the environment. An increasing amount of evidence points to the possibility that gestational and early-childhood vitamin D defici...

To the Editor In an Editorial, Drs Lucas and Wolf¹ stated that randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of vitamin D and health outcomes have failed to confirm observational study findings. However, that is not the case for several health outcomes. Secondary analyses of the Vitamin D and Omega-3 Trial (VITAL) revealed significant reductions in overall can...

The world is in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures that can reduce the risk of infection and death in addition to quarantines are desperately needed. This article reviews the roles of vitamin D in reducing the risk of respiratory tract infections, knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19, and how vitamin D s...

The world is in the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health measures that can reduce the risk of infection and death in addition to quarantines are desperately needed. This article reviews the roles of vitamin D in reducing risk of respiratory tract infections, knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza and COVID-19, and how vitamin D supp...

Low vitamin D status in winter permits viral epidemics. During winter, people who do not take vitamin D supplements are likely to have low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations. Vitamin D can reduce the risk of viral epidemics and pandemics in several ways. First, higher 25(OH)D concentrations reduce the risk of many chronic diseases,...

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in intestinal homeostasis. Vitamin D can impact the function of virtually every cell in the gut by binding to its intracellular receptor (VDR) and subsequently transcribing relevant genes. In the lumen, the mucus layer and the underlying epithelium serve to keep resident microbiota at bay. Vitamin D ensures an appropr...

1 January 24, 2020 Yes, vitamin D can be a magic bullet William B. Grant1 , Barbara J. Boucher2 Clin Nutr. online 31 March 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2020.03.021 1 Director, Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center P.O. Box 641603 San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USA www.sunarc.org wbgrant@infionline.net 2 The Blizard Institute Barts...

Over the past two decades, many studies reported the benefits of higher 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations for nonskeletal effects. Researchers found significant benefits in reducing risk of acute respiratory tract infections, many types of cancer, type 2 diabetes mellitus, premature death, and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. In add...

Background: Intensive scientific debate is ongoing about whether moderate solarium use increases melanoma risk. The authors of some recent publications demand the debate be closed and propose "actions against solarium use for skin cancer prevention" because new studies have convincingly demonstrated causality. This minireview aims to investigate w...

This article is a narrative review of recent epidemiological findings regarding ultraviolet-B (UVB) dose or exposure, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, vitamin D supplementation, and genetic variations in 25(OH)D concentration for incidence, survival, and mortality rates of overall and breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer. Acco...

Zusammenfassung Die Ursache der Sarkoidose ist bislang unbekannt. Vitamin D ist zur Behandlung der Erkrankung kontraindiziert. Wir fragen daher, was Sarkoidose verursacht und warum Vitamin D für die Betroffenen gefährlich sein kann und schlagen eine gegenteilige Hypothese vor: Sarkoidose ist ein physiologischer Prozess der Krebsabwehr, der Vitamin...

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are low in Mongolia, averaging 22 ng/mL in summer and only 8 ng/mL in winter. Mongolians have high incidence and/or prevalence of several diseases linked to low 25(OH)D concentrations, including ischemic heart disease, malignant neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver, ischemic stroke, lower respiratory...

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has been largely associated with latitude and sunshine exposure across several regions. According to previous results, 25(OH)D concentrations are, on average, relatively low in countries with abundant sunshine, including those of the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as lower-latitude Europe. The stand...

Purpose of Review This review summarizes the understanding of vitamin D3’s role in reducing risk of cancer incidence and mortality. Recent Findings Recent randomized clinical trials and observational studies of participants who took part in vitamin D3 supplementation studies provide increasing evidence that concentrations of serum 25-hydroxyvitami...

Meis Moukayed,1 William B Grant21School of Arts and Sciences, American University in Dubai, Dubai, UAE; 2Sunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USACorrespondence: William B GrantSunlight, Nutrition, and Health Research Center, P.O. Box 641603, San Francisco, CA 94164-1603, USAEmail wbgrant@infionline.netAbstr...

Scragg reports increasing evidence for differences in the thresholds for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration [vitamin D repletion] that need to be reached in populations observationally, or to be achieved by vitamin D supplementation in deficiency, before health benefits become apparent in different conditions [...]

: Hawai’i Island often receives extreme (UV Index ≥ 11) solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). While the UV Index (UVI) has been measured since 1997 at Hawai’i’s high-altitude Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO), measurements where people live and recreate are rare. We measured UVI on the face of a rotating mannequin head with UVR sensors at its eyes, ears and...

Vitamin D, traditionally well known for its role in maintaining optimal health through its contribution to calcium metabolism and skeletal health, has received increased attention over the past two decades, with considerable focus being placed on its nonskeletal benefits. This paper is a narrative review of the nonskeletal health benefits of vitami...

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to musculoskeletal diseases such as rickets and osteomalacia, but vitamin D supplementation may also prevent extraskeletal diseases such as respiratory tract infections, asthma exacerbations, pregnancy complications and premature deaths. Vitamin D has a unique metabolism as it is mainly obtained through synthesis in th...

Genetic and non-genetic effects of increased sun and vitamin D exposure: role in the observed healthy changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in Iranian children - William B Grant, Barbara J Boucher

This book reviews the health effects associated with sun exposure and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. It finds benefits for many health outcomes including autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pregnancy and birth, etc. It also discusses whether one need be concerned about skin cancer and melanoma. It also discusses to...

The recent paper on preventing melanoma by increasing regular application of sunscreen by Olsen et al. is an interesting academic study, but not fully relevant to the U.S. since the beneficial effect of sunscreen use on melanoma risk comes from one clinical trial in Australia which has the highest known melanoma rates due to very high UV doses in f...

The vitamin D-cancer prevention hypothesis has been evaluated through several types of studies, including geographical ecological studies related to indices of solar ultraviolet-B (UVB) dose (the primary source of vitamin D for most people), observational studies related to UVB exposure or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations, laborat...

The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks and the World Health Organization recently published reports which concluded that a large proportion of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer is attributable to sunbed use, and that there is no need to use sunbeds as there are no health benefits and they are...