The Vitamin Professor
Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG) is a 45-year veteran of the dietary supplement industry, and for 20 of those years he served as Professor of Nutraceutical Science at Huntington University of Health Sciences. He now serves as Chief Scientific Officer for Nutraland USA. As “The Vitamin Professor”, Gene will share the most recent research on nutraceuticals in this free bimonthly newsletter. Make sure to subscribe.
This issue of The Vitamin Professor will focus on recent research related to new vitamin D supplementation guidelines from the Endocrine Society; L-citrulline, vasodilation and muscle oxygenation in postmenopausal women; and vitamin D and depression in adolescents.
Vitamin D supplementation guidelines from the Endocrine Society
The Endocrine Society recently published clinical practice guidelines for supplementation of vitamin D[1]. The objective was to develop clinical guidelines for the use of vitamin D to lower the risk of disease in individuals. This was achieved via a multidisciplinary panel who prioritized the review of randomized placebo-controlled trials in general populations (without an established indication for vitamin D treatment or 25[OH]D testing), evaluating the effects of empiric vitamin D administration throughout the lifespan, as well as in select conditions (pregnancy and prediabetes). The panel defined “empiric supplementation” as vitamin D intake that (a) exceeds the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and (b) is implemented without testing for 25(OH)D. The results were that the panel suggested empiric vitamin D supplementation for:
The panel indicated that optimal doses for empiric vitamin D supplementation remain unclear for the populations considered. For nonpregnant people older than 50 years for whom vitamin D is indicated, the panel suggests supplementation via daily administration of vitamin D, rather than intermittent use of high doses. Also, the panel did not suggest empiric vitamin D supplementation above the current DRI to lower the risk of disease in healthy adults younger than 75 years. In conclusion, the panel suggests empiric vitamin D for those aged 1 to 18 years and adults over 75 years of age, those who are pregnant, and those with high-risk prediabetes. The panel indicated that these recommendations are not meant to replace the current DRIs for vitamin D, nor do they apply to people with established indications for vitamin D treatment or 25(OH)D testing.
L-Citrulline, vasodilation and muscle oxygenation in postmenopausal women
Endothelial dysfunction decreases exercise limb blood flow (BF) and muscle oxygenation. Acute L-Citrulline supplementation (CIT) improves muscle tissue oxygen saturation index (TSI) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb) during exercise. This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, and parallel design study[2] examined the impact of CIT 10g/day on blood pressure (BP), arterial vasodilation (FMD, BF, and vascular conductance [VC]), and forearm muscle oxygenation (TSI and HHb) at rest and during exercise in 22 hypertensive postmenopausal women. Results were that compared to the placebo, CIT significantly (p < 0.05) increased FMD and reduced aortic systolic BP at rest and improved exercise BF, VC, TSI, and HHb. Exercise BF and VC were positively correlated with improved FMD and TSI during exercise (all p < 0.05). CIT improved exercise artery vasodilation and muscle oxygenation via increased endothelial function in hypertensive postmenopausal women.
Recommended by LinkedIn
Vitamin D and depression in adolescents
Research has clearly established stunted vitamin D levels are associated with depression, poor mood, and other mental disorders. Individuals with normal vitamin D levels have a much lower probability of developing depression. This cluster randomized controlled trial[3] assessed the effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression scores among rural adolescents. The intervention arm received 2250 IU of vitamin D (n=235), and the control arm received 500 mg of calcium along with a lower dose of 250 IU of vitamin D (n=216) for 9 weeks. To assess sociodemographic status, a pretested, semi-structured questionnaire was used, and, to assess depression, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) was used. A baseline assessment was carried out for vitamin D status and depression status, followed by a post-intervention assessment. Results were that, by comparing Beck depression scores before and after the intervention, it was found that the vitamin D intervention arm showed a statistically significant reduction in Beck depression scores. In conclusion, this study showed that vitamin D supplementation reduced depression scores, showing some evidence that nutritional interventions for mental health issues such as depression are an excellent option. The study authors indicated that vitamin D supplementation in schools can have numerous beneficiary effects on health while mutually benefiting mental health.
Please join me for my twice monthly Vitamin Professor podcast, during which I explore all aspects of the supplement space with leading industry professionals, and with a focus on nutraceutical science. Subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart and/or your preferred podcast platforms to get the latest episodes. Also, please be sure to subscribe to Vitamin Retailer Industry Partner Offers & Announcements to receive new podcast notifications via email.
References
[1] Demay MB, Pittas AG, Bikle DD, et al. Vitamin D for the Prevention of Disease: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Published online June 3, 2024. doi:10.1210/clinem/dgae290
[2] Kang Y, Dillon KN, Martinez MA, Maharaj A, Fischer SM, Figueroa A. L-Citrulline Supplementation Improves Arterial Blood Flow and Muscle Oxygenation during Handgrip Exercise in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2024;16(12):1935. Published 2024 Jun 19. doi:10.3390/nu16121935
[3] Satyanarayana PT, Suryanarayana R, Yesupatham ST, Varadapuram Ramalingareddy SR, Gopalli NA. Does Vitamin D3 Supplementation Improve Depression Scores among Rural Adolescents? A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients. 2024;16(12):1828. Published 2024 Jun 11. doi:10.3390/nu16121828
Queensborough Veterinary Hosp- unparalleled compassion- longterm commitment to practice
6moDoes a healthy diet, not negate the need for taking vitamin supplements? I seem to recall a study in lung cancer, where smokers taking beta carotene supplements had higher rates of lung cancer than those not taking beta carotene, whereas smokers eating a diet Beta carotene through fruits and vegetables, had lower rates of lung cancer. When you get nutrients in your food, you get accompanying antioxidants and other nutrients that have synergistic benefits in some cases. However, supplemental vitamin D in low sun Locations certainly has been well proven to be beneficial. The only point I'm trying to make is the benefits of taking vitamin supplements have been greatly exaggerated otherwise.