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Topic Review
Vitamin Supplements and Chronic Alcohol Consumption
Alcoholic drinks are extensively consumed worldwide. Drinking alcohol has negative and positive consequences. The health consequences of alcohol intake vary depending on the amount and pattern of consumption.
  • 2.6K
  • 24 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin K and SARS-CoV-2
Prevalent coagulopathy and thromboembolism are observed in severe COVID-19 patients with 40% of COVID-19 mortality being associated with cardiovascular complications. Abnormal coagulation parameters are related to poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients. Victims also displayed presence of extensive thrombosis in infected lungs. Vitamin K is well-known to play an essential role in the coagulation system. Latest study revealed an existing correlation between vitamin K deficiency and COVID-19 severity, highlighting a role of vitamin K, probably via coagulation modulation.
  • 554
  • 06 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin K and Its Function
Vitamin K is a lipid-soluble vitamin that is normally maintained within appropriate levels by means of dietary intake and bacterial production in the intestinal microflora. It holds a central role in coagulation homeostasis, and thus its depletion leads to hypocoagulation and haemorrhagic diathesis.
  • 238
  • 07 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Vitamin K
Vitamin K has been recognized as a key factor for the synthesis of blood clotting factors in the liver, and is currently known to be involved in a wide range of biological processes and is associated with many pathological conditions.The most well-known function of vitamin K is as a cofactor for the γ-glutamyl carboxylase (GGCX) enzyme responsible for the post-translational modification of vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) through the conversion of specific glutamic acid (Glu) into calcium binding γ-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla) residues. Vitamin K deficiency has been linked to several pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), osteoarthritis (OA) , rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoporosis, cancer, dementia, certain skin pathologies, functional decline, and disability.  A new concept on the involvement of vitamin K in inflammation is growing. In fact, novel roles have been disclosed for vitamin K independent of its activity as a cofactor for GGCX, such as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, promoter of cognition, inhibition of tumor progression, and transcriptional regulator of osteoblastic genes. A growing number of studies has raised an increasing interest on the use of vitamin K as a health promoting supplement.  Aging societies represent a major economic challenge for health care systems, and diet supplements promoting healthy aging and improving the prognosis of age-related diseases, are required to be implemented in clinical practice.This work thoroughly reviews available data regarding differences between vitamin K1 and K2, contextualized with clinical aspects of vitamin K deficiency, including their sources, functions, target activity, and involvement in age-related diseases. Processes for the chemical and biological production of vitamin K1 and K2 will be briefly addressed. Additionally, novel sources with potential biotechnological application, and new formulations to improve vitamin K absorption and bioavailability are presented.
  • 1.0K
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin E in Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Diseases
Vitamin E is one of the most popular fat-soluble vitamins in pathological research and has been under scrutiny since the 1980s as a vital dietary component of food. The antioxidant effect of vitamin E has been widely studied due to its benefits in the prevention of various cardiovascular diseases. The earliest research on vitamin E established its roles as a fat-soluble antioxidant due to lowered rates of atherosclerosis and an overall reduction in cardiovascular mortality observed in randomized-controlled trials. While these studies could not pinpoint the exact reasons behind vitamin E’s effect, it has been well-established in the past to be an effective radical scavenger to prevent LDL oxidation and foam cell formation, and subsequently prevents the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, inhibits plaque build-up and stenosis, and lowers hypertension—which are all major risk factors of poor vascular health. 
  • 710
  • 02 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D, Oxidative-Stress and Aging
Recent advances in vitamin D research indicate that this vitamin, a secosteroid hormone, has beneficial effects on several body systems other than the musculoskeletal system. Both 25 dihydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)2D] and its active hormonal form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] are essential for human physiological functions, including damping down inflammation and the excessive intracellular oxidative stresses. Vitamin D is one of the key controllers of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and mitochondrial respiratory function, and thus, the aging process in humans. In turn, molecular and cellular actions form 1,25(OH)2D slow down oxidative stress, cell and tissue damage, and the aging process. On the other hand, hypovitaminosis D impairs mitochondrial functions, and enhances oxidative stress and systemic inflammation. The interaction of 1,25(OH)2D with its intracellular receptors modulates vitamin D–dependent gene transcription and activation of vitamin D-responsive elements, which triggers multiple second messenger systems. Thus, it is not surprising that hypovitaminosis D increases the incidence and severity of several age-related common diseases, such as metabolic disorders that are linked to oxidative stress. These include obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, pregnancy complications, memory disorders, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and systemic inflammatory diseases. Vitamin D adequacy leads to less oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial and endocrine functions, reducing the risks of disorders, such as autoimmunity, infections, metabolic derangements, and impairment of DNA repair; all of this aids a healthy, graceful aging process. Vitamin D is also a potent anti-oxidant that facilitates balanced mitochondrial activities, preventing oxidative stress-related protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage. New understandings of vitamin D-related advances in metabolomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, in relation to its ability to control oxidative stress in conjunction with micronutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants, following normalization of serum 25(OH)D and tissue 1,25(OH)2D concentrations, likely to promise cost-effective better clinical outcomes in humans. 
  • 1.8K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin D, microbiome, and IBD
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), which differ in the location and lesion extensions. Both diseases are associated with microbiota dysbiosis, with a reduced population of butyrate-producing species, abnormal inflammatory response, and micronutrient deficiency (e.g., vitamin D hypovitaminosis). Vitamin D (VitD) is involved in immune cell differentiation, gut microbiota modulation, gene transcription, and barrier integrity. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) regulates the biological actions of the active VitD (1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3), and is involved in the genetic, environmental, immune, and microbial aspects of IBD. VitD deficiency is correlated with disease activity and its administration targeting a concentration of 30 ng/mL may have the potential to reduce disease activity. Moreover, VDR regulates functions of T cells and Paneth cells and modulates release of antimicrobial peptides in gut microbiota-host interactions. Meanwhile, beneficial microbial metabolites, e.g., butyrate, upregulate the VDR signaling.
  • 755
  • 31 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin D-dependent Rickets
Vitamin D-dependent rickets is a disorder of bone development that leads to softening and weakening of the bones (rickets).
  • 1.0K
  • 23 Dec 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin D Synthesis and Metabolism
Vitamin D, conventionally considered a nutrient, is a potent hormone regulating many physiological functions. Vitamin D exists as a prohormone that needs to be transformed into biologically active products that bind to their cognate nuclear receptors to regulate diverse physiological processes.
  • 5.8K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Vitamin D Scarcity in Arctic and  Tropical Peoples
Vitamin D metabolism differs among human populations because the species has adapted to different natural and cultural environments. Two environments are particularly difficult for the production of vitamin D by the skin: the Arctic, where the skin receives little solar UVB over the year; and the Tropics, where the skin is highly melanized and blocks UVB. In both cases, natural selection has favored the survival of those individuals who use vitamin D more efficiently or have some kind of workaround that ensures sufficient uptake of calcium and other essential minerals from food passing through the intestines. Vitamin D scarcity has either cultural or genetic solutions. Cultural solutions include consumption of meat in a raw or boiled state and extended breastfeeding of children. Genetic solutions include higher uptake of calcium from the intestines, higher rate of conversion of vitamin D to its most active form, stronger binding of vitamin D to carrier proteins in the bloodstream, and greater use of alternative metabolic pathways for calcium uptake. Because their bodies use vitamin D more sparingly, indigenous Arctic and Tropical peoples can be misdiagnosed with vitamin D deficiency and wrongly prescribed dietary supplements that may push their vitamin D level over the threshold of toxicity.
  • 1.3K
  • 20 Oct 2022
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