TY - JOUR
T1 - Low serum vitamin D-status, air pollution and obesity
T2 - A dangerous liaison
AU - Barrea, Luigi
AU - Savastano, Silvia
AU - Di Somma, Carolina
AU - Savanelli, Maria Cristina
AU - Nappi, Francesca
AU - Albanese, Lidia
AU - Orio, Francesco
AU - Colao, Annamaria
PY - 2016/9/19
Y1 - 2016/9/19
N2 - The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the possible associations among the vitamin D status, air pollution and obesity. Sunlight exposure accounts in humans for more than 90 % of the production of vitamin D. Among emerging factors influencing sunlight-induced synthesis of vitamin D, prospective and observational studies proved that air pollution constitutes an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of vitamin D hypovitaminosis. In addition, environmental pollutants can affect risk of obesity when inhaled, in combination with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. In turn, obesity is closely associated with a low vitamin D status and many possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association. The associations of air pollution with low vitamin D status on the hand and with obesity on the other hand, could provide a rationale for considering obesity as a further link between air pollution and low vitamin D status. In this respect, a vicious cycle could operate among low vitamin D status, air pollution, and obesity, with additive detrimental effects on cardio-metabolic risk in obese individuals. Besides vitamin D supplementation, nutrient combination, used to maximize the protective effects against air pollution, might also contribute to improve the vitamin D status by attenuating the “obesogen” effects of air pollution.
AB - The aim of this review is to provide a general overview of the possible associations among the vitamin D status, air pollution and obesity. Sunlight exposure accounts in humans for more than 90 % of the production of vitamin D. Among emerging factors influencing sunlight-induced synthesis of vitamin D, prospective and observational studies proved that air pollution constitutes an independent risk factor in the pathogenesis of vitamin D hypovitaminosis. In addition, environmental pollutants can affect risk of obesity when inhaled, in combination with unhealthy diet and lifestyle. In turn, obesity is closely associated with a low vitamin D status and many possible mechanisms have been proposed to explain this association. The associations of air pollution with low vitamin D status on the hand and with obesity on the other hand, could provide a rationale for considering obesity as a further link between air pollution and low vitamin D status. In this respect, a vicious cycle could operate among low vitamin D status, air pollution, and obesity, with additive detrimental effects on cardio-metabolic risk in obese individuals. Besides vitamin D supplementation, nutrient combination, used to maximize the protective effects against air pollution, might also contribute to improve the vitamin D status by attenuating the “obesogen” effects of air pollution.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Environmental factor
KW - Nutritionist
KW - Obesity
KW - Vitamin D
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988418348&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84988418348&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11154-016-9388-6
DO - 10.1007/s11154-016-9388-6
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84988418348
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
JF - Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders
SN - 1389-9155
ER -