A day with vitamin D
Given the fact thatthe vitamin in question is highly essential for our bodies, a person needs tospend at least ten to fifteen minutes in sunlight, in order to make up for theessential daily requirements of this vitamin, i.e. 200 IU. On the other hand, ifa person fails to provide his/her body with the necessary amounts of vitamin D, what occurs is the vitamin deficiency, which is responsible for the occurrence ofcondition known as rickets, in small children especially, as well as osteomalaciaand osteoporosis.
Additionalinformation
The vitamin inquestion belongs to the group of fat-soluble vitamins, it is present in thesun rays and various different foods such as milk, fish, egg yolk and in a varietyof vegetables also. When it comes to the metabolic processes, vitamin D plays amajor role in making sure that the levels of calcium and phosphorus, present inthe blood, are proper and well balanced. In addition, it is responsible for increasingthe bones and teeth calcium absorption, which adds up to their overall healthand strength.
When found in a naturalform, this vitamin bears little significance for the metabolic processes, butthe major role is taken up by calcitriol in which vitamin D is transformed.This transformation, i.e. conversion is a two-phase process, the first phasetaking place in a person’s liver, and the second phase in a person’skidney.
Calcitriol
This “enhanced”version of vitamin D belongs to the category of steroid hormones and isaccountable for targeting approximately 10% of genes of the total genomiccontent. What this hormone is also responsible for is the regulation of bodilyminerals. Among all thedifferent forms of vitamin D, two of the most vital ones are considered to bevitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, and vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol. The formeris mainly a byproduct of plants, with the latter being most oftensynthesized after skin is exposed to sunlight.
Deficiency
As mentioned above,a proper daily amount of vitamin D that our body needs is 200 IU. Morepicturesquely, if a person in question exposes him/herself to the sunlight for approximately 20-30minutes per day, he/she can synthesize around 20,000 IUs. Onthe other hand, in case the exposure is significantly smaller, as well as if aperson suffers from kidney or a liver condition, or a genetic defect, these can all induce the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency. Besides the alreadymentioned directly related conditions, both in children and in adults, thisdeficiency can also hinder the calcium absorption by the bones and thus bringabout a fairly serious condition, i.e. osteoporosis. The chronic type of thisdeficiency is known to induce pain, as well as body ache and muscle fatigue.
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