Vitamin D (calciferol) has the function of absorbing calcium and phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract, thus indirectly regulating growth and repairing bones, so a lack of vitamin D leads to rickets, ie a defect in bone development.
FORMS OF VITAMIN D
There are two forms of vitamin D, these are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3.
The source of vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is yeast that has been exposed to ultraviolet rays, and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is found in fish oil and egg yolk. Vitamin D3 is also produced in the skin when we are exposed to sunlight.
Milk can be enriched with one of the two forms of vitamin D. In the liver, the vitamin is converted into a form that the blood can carry throughout the body. It is then converted in the kidneys into a hormone that accelerates the absorption of calcium in the gut and allows for normal bone development.
VITAMIN DEFICIENCY D
Vitamin D deficiency lowers calcium and phosphate levels so that it threatens healthy bone development and growth. The disease resulting from such a deficiency is rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults.
Deficiency occurs due to improper diet, which does not have enough vitamin D or due to insufficient exposure to sunlight.
Deficiency during pregnancy causes osteomalacia in the mother and rickets in the newborn. The fact is that breast milk does not contain enough vitamin D, so even babies in tropical places get rickets when they are not sufficiently exposed to the sun.
SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT
1. The first symptom of the disease due to low calcium levels in infants are muscle cramps (tetany).
2. Later signs in children are even slower development, e.g. they begin to sit and crawl later. The same goes for the healing of the skull bones.
3. In children from the age of one to four, the spinal curve is abnormally developed, legs may be bent and children walk later.
4. Older children and adolescents are hurt when they walk.
5. Flattening of the pelvis and narrowing of the birth canal in adolescents makes it difficult to give birth later.
6. In adults, calcium deficiencies make bones weaker, making fractures more common, especially of the spine, pelvis and legs.
In addition to the above, vitamin D deficiency also increases the infiltration of fat into skeletal muscle, which negatively affects muscle strength and can cause a number of other disorders.
In addition to the signs listed above, rickets and osteomalacia can be detected by X-ray images of the bones. Treatment is carried out for 2 to 3 weeks by taking 5 times the recommended daily amount of vitamin D. Hereditary forms of rickets usually improve if they are treated with biologically active substances.
Health effects of vitamin D - Bone health
One of the most important roles of vitamin D is to maintain calcium balance in bones by stimulating:
- intestinal calcium absorption,
- bone resorption by increasing the number of osteoclasts,
maintaining the concentration of calcium and phosphates for bone formation, and
- enabling the proper functioning of parathyroid hormone to maintain serum calcium.
Vitamin D deficiency alters the metabolism of minerals in the body, leading to low bone mineral density. This means that there is a significant increase in the risk of bone loss (osteoporosis) or there is a risk of increased bone fractures.
VITAMIN EXCESS D
Due to several months of taking vitamin D in doses that exceed ten times the recommended daily amount, the concentration of calcium in the blood increases:
- first symptoms include poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, severe thirst, increased urine output, weakness, nervousness and high blood pressure.
- calcium is deposited in the body, especially in the kidneys, where it can cause permanent damage,
- kidney function is impaired, causing proteins to pass into the urine and raising the level of urea in the blood, which is a waste product.
Health effects of vitamin D - Immune system
Numerous studies have been conducted where vitamin D deficiency is exposed, which can lead to a weakened immune system, to highlight some of the more interesting ones:
- a link has been found between vitamin D deficiency and the occurrence of multiple sclerosis, precisely because of the effects of the immune system's inhibitory function,
- taking vitamin D supplements suggests that it may be causing a pandemic of allergic diseases,
- a link was found between taking vitamin D supplements in childhood and an increased risk of atopy (predisposition to hypersensitivity) and the development of allergic rhinitis (inflammation of the nasal mucosa) later in life.
VITAMIN D AND PREGNANCY
We have repeatedly pointed out that Vitamin D is key to a healthy skeleton. Increased needs for vitamin D occur in children and nursing mothers.
In a randomized study, 494 pregnant women between the 12th and 16th week of pregnancy were divided into three groups: the first group received 400 IU of vitamin D per day before delivery, the second group received 4,000 IU and the third 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day. All women were checked regularly to ensure their safety and the safety of the fetus. No negative side effects were found in any of the groups, but the effects of vitamin D intake on complications during pregnancy, including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, infections, and preterm birth, were examined. They found that all women in the study had a lower rate of preterm birth and infections, and the best effects were found in women who took 4,000 IU a day. Therefore, researchers recommend taking 4,000 IU of vitamin D daily to all pregnant women.
INFLUENZA (influenza)
The lack of vitamin D synthesis is a possible explanation for the high rate of influenza virus infection in winter, in addition to of course other assumed factors (e.g. low relative humidity, etc.).
Cardiovascular diseases (Cardiovascular diseases)
A report by the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which included nearly 5,000 participants, found that low vitamin D levels were associated with an increased risk of peripheral artery disease (blockage of arteries in the arms and legs). The incidence of peripheral artery disease was 80% higher in participants with the lowest vitamin D concentration (< 17.8 ng / mL). Cholesterol levels have been found to decrease in gardeners in the UK during the summer months. Low levels of vitamin D are also associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular (cardiovascular) risk.
