Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003-2004), the group found that people with deficient (<12 ng/mL) or insufficient (<20 ng/mL) vitamin D levels were more likely to use opioid painkillers (odds ratios of 1.62 and 1.27, respectively). The group first asked whether there was a correlation between opioid use and serum vitamin D levels in people. “We thought that people may be seeking sunlight to avoid feeling bad, as a result of not getting enough vitamin D and endogenous opioids, so we posited that UV-seeking behaviors serve to maximize vitamin D synthesis, and that vitamin D deficiency may intervene with reward signaling to potentiate opioid use,” Fisher said. This and other studies led to the researchers' current study hypothesis.
#Endorphin addiction skin#
That work paved the way for discovering the role of vitamin D in opioid responses and addictive behaviors.Ī previous study from the group found that ultraviolet (UV) radiation can spur skin synthesis of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), a precursor for the skin pigment melanin, and for β-endorphin, an endogenous opioid ( Fell et al., 2014). Initially, the researchers were trying to understand the biological causes of harmful sun-seeking behaviors, which can lead to premature skin aging and increased risk of skin cancer. The findings appeared June 11, 2021, in Science Advances. This study is fascinating, as it points out links between vitamin D, OUD, and morphine effectiveness,” said Anna Taylor, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, who was not involved in the study. The relapse rate is really high for people with an opioid addiction, and there is a huge need to develop novel therapies. “We are living in an opioid overdose crisis with limited solutions, so this is an important topic. These findings point to a focus on vitamin D as one possible avenue to ameliorate the opioid crisis. Further, restoring vitamin D signaling normalized responses to morphine in the animals.
![endorphin addiction endorphin addiction](https://static.spin.com/files/2016/05/Screen-Shot-2016-05-11-at-2.43.35-PM.png)
Further, the investigators show in mouse models that deficient vitamin D signaling amplifies responses to opioids, including the reward, analgesia, tolerance, and dependence associated with use of these drugs.
![endorphin addiction endorphin addiction](https://ars.els-cdn.com/content/image/1-s2.0-S258900422100095X-gr1.jpg)
The research from David Fisher, Harvard Medical School, Boston, US, and colleagues reveals an association between opioid use/opioid use disorder (OUD) and low vitamin D levels in people.
![endorphin addiction endorphin addiction](https://images.slideplayer.com/19/5830026/slides/slide_4.jpg)
A recent study now proposes a new contributor to opioid addiction and in doing so points one way forward to address the opioid crisis. Millions of people continue to misuse opioids each year, pointing to the need for an improved understanding of the determinants of these painkillers' detrimental effects.