Vitamin D is one of the many vitamins our bodies need to stay healthy.
With so much chatter around vitamin D and its importance, it’s a good idea to find out a little more about the ‘sunshine vitamins’. Vitamin D is a group of soluble prohormones and was identified after the discovery of the anti-rachitic effect of cod liver oil in the early 20th century. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) are the two main biological precursors of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 is formed when the skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In a heat-dependent process, previtamin D3 is immediately converted to vitamin D. Vitamin D2 is derived from a plant, extracted energetically by the ingestion of ergosterol, and is -into the circulation through diet.
Sources of vitamin D.
People usually get vitamin D through dietary intake and exposure to sunlight. Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines are rich in foods that are naturally low in vitamin D. Egg yolks have been reported to contain vitamin D although the amounts are variable. In addition, the cholesterol content of egg yolks makes it a poor source of vitamin D. Also, a small number of foods are fortified with vitamin D such as milk, orange juice and some breads and grains.
(Read also: Avoid vitamin D deficiency in winter, add these foods to your diet)
Salmon is said to be rich in vitamin D3
Why is vitamin D so important?
Vitamin D is one of the many vitamins our bodies need to stay healthy. This vitamin has many functions, including:
– Keeping bones strong: By getting healthy bones protected from various conditions -osteomalacia, osteoporosis includes rickets. Rickets is a disorder that causes children to have weak and fragile bones. It is caused by low vitamin D, which is needed for calcium and phosphorus to be absorbed into the body. In adults, soft bones are the result of a lack of calcium intake, a condition known as Osteomalacia. Weak or soft bones can lead to Osteoporosis, a loss of bone density that can cause fractures. Vitamin D is either taken orally through diet or supplementation or from sun exposure, and then converted to an active form of the vitamin. The active form promotes optimal calcium intake from diet.
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In adults, soft bones are the result of a lack of calcium intake, a condition known as Osteomalacia.
– Working with parathyroid glands: The parathyroid glands help balance calcium in the blood by communicating with the kidneys, gut and skeleton. When there is enough calcium in the diet and enough active vitamin D, dietary calcium is absorbed and put to good use throughout the body. If calcium intake is insufficient or vitamin D is low, the parathyroid glands borrow calcium from the skeleton to keep the blood calcium in the normal range.
Health effects of vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D plays a vital role in managing overall health and protecting against the following conditions and may help in their treatment. These conditions may include:
– Bone diseases such as osteoporosis or rickets
– Heart disease and high blood pressure
– Diabetes
– Diseases and disorders of the immune system
– Waterfalls in old people
– Some cancers, such as colon, prostate and breast cancer
– Multiple sclerosis
(Read also: 7 Vitamin D-Rich Indian breakfast recipes: Boost Your Immunity During Pandemic Coronavirus)
Vitamin D can also protect against diabetes.
Signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
Studies have shown that severe vitamin D deficiency in children causes such as incorrect growth patterns, delayed mental development, muscle weakness, pain in bones and deformities in joints.
Signs and symptoms in adults can include-
– Tired.
– Bone pain.
– Muscle weakness, muscle aches, or muscle cramps.
– Mood changes, like depression.
Vitamin D in Pregnancy & Neonates
Vitamin D helps stimulate insulin function and secretion, immune modulation and lung development. It therefore has the potential to influence many factors in the developing fetus.
It is suggested that the requirement for vitamin D in expectant and lactating women will be up to 6000 iu / day.
Prenatal eclampsia and neonatal hypocalcemia are the most common complications of maternal hypocalcemia and are clearly associated with severe morbidity. Maternal vitamin D level is also associated with fetal bone and lung development, newborn immune conditions such as asthma.
(Read also: vitamin D intake during pregnancy linked to higher IQ in children: 5 vitamin D foods)
Maternal & fetal problems due to low vitamin D levels in the body include:
– Ro-eclampsia
– Low birth weight
– Glucose intolerance in pregnancy
– Neonatal hypocalcemia seizures
– Skeletal growth and development for babies
– Fetal lung development & childhood immune disorder
Treatment of women with vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D supplementation is safe and is recommended for all pregnant or breastfeeding women. Low vitamin D concentration has been linked to a wide range of adverse maternal and child health outcomes.
About the Author: Shalini Chakraborty is an active Sr. nutritionist, Cloudnine Hospitals Group, Bengaluru (Old Airport Road)
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