The Power of Vitamin D: from Osteoporosis to Cancer

Vitamin D is an important nutrient that exerts a tremendous role in maintaining physiological function as well as bone health. Its initial role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism has already been established well, especially with regards to osteoporosis prevention and management. Nonetheless, recent studies have broadened its significance beyond skeletal well-being, showing its possible function in immune modulation, cardiovascular health, and cancer prevention. Deficiency of vitamin D has been associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis, fractures, and musculoskeletal disease. In addition, new evidence indicates that proper vitamin D levels can lower the risk of certain cancers, such as breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer, by modulating cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. In spite of these encouraging results, issues continue to surround optimal vitamin D levels, strategies for supplementation, and its exact mechanisms in disease prevention. This review discusses the multi-aspect role of vitamin D, ranging from its traditional role in bone health to its newly emerging role in cancer prevention, with a focus on the necessity of additional clinical trials to define absolute therapeutic recommendations.