Imagine that there is a supplement or drug that strengthens your bones, boosts your immune system, prevents auto-immune diseases, aids in weight loss, helps prevent cancer and doesn’t cost you a cent. Research has led many to believe that this supplement does indeed exist, and it’s called vitamin D.
Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency is one of the fastest growing epidemics in the world today. Approximately 75 percent of U.S. teens and adults have low vitamin D levels. Some experts are attributing the high percentage of vitamin D deficiency to the increased use of sunscreen and long sleeve shirts after recent skin cancer-prevention campaigns… But a person does not have to tan or sunburn in order to get vitamin D. (Lite 1)
Deficiency in vitamin D occurs when a person does not have a sufficient amount of vitamin D in their body. Not only can vitamin D deficiency interfere with bone mineralization in children, but it also has been linked to increased risk of cancer, falls, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, hypertension, and altered glucose and lipid metabolism. (Cherniack 1)(Pediatr...
Her findings from this research was praised as she concluded that small supplementary feeding with fruits, milk and wheat germ improved the growth of school children. She also found out that the over dosage of Vitamin D produced brittle bones and calcification of soft tissues. If that wasn’t enough, she continued her extensive research and showed that pantothenic acid is essential for normal pigmentation of hair and skin. Lastly she was intelligent enough to prove that the bone density of woman decreased between 50 and 65 years of
Vitamin B12 deficiency limits selenium methylation and excretion resulting in higher tissue selenium levels and subsequent toxicity. It occurs in people whose digestive systems do not adequately absorb the vitamin from the foods they eat. Vegetarians who eat eggs and milk products are the most at risk because, on average, they consume less than half the adult vitamin B12 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) while strict vegans (who don't eat any animal products, including meat, eggs, or milk) are at an even greater risk. Vitamin B12 is important since it works with the vitamin folate to make the body’s genetic material and help keep levels of the amino acid homocysteine in check which helps to decrease heart disease risk. It is also essential in the production of red blood cells which carry oxygen through the blood to the body’s tissues. Life Extension gives offers some of selenium supplements. Babies who are born of parents with low selenium and vitamin B12 rich foods are at risk of anaemia.
Papas, E., & Cluxton, R. J. (2011). Vitamin D: beneficial for pain, fracture, and falls in long-term care residents?. Annals of long term care, 19(5), 33-36.
Marks, R., P.A. Foley, D. Jolley, K.R. Knight, and J. Harrison. 1995. The effect of regular sunscreen use on vitamin D levels in an Australian population: results of a randomized controlled trial. Archives of Dermatology 131: 415-421.
Since ancient times vitamin D has been the predominant cause of bone deficiencies.1 However, it was not in till the seventeenth century when both Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson made the first scientific description of a vitamin D deficiency.2 During the mid-seventeenth century there was an increase amount of children that were diagnosed with the bone disease called rickets.2 The cause of the rickets was determined to be associated to the lack of sunlight. A German researcher Kurt Huldschinsky came to the conclusion that when infants were exposed to ultraviolet light rays they became cured of rickets2. He stated that a substance in the skin was the potential source of the cure.2 In 1922, American scientist Elmer McCollum proved that when cod liver oil was heated; the beneficial effects of vitamin A in the oil were reduced.2 However, the oil remained effective in curing rickets leading McCollum to reason that a nutrient different from vitamin A was present in the oil. As a result, he named this nutrient vitamin D, which became the fourth vitamin to be discovered and named.2 Additionally, shortly after 1918, vitamin D was also discovered by an accidental experiment that included a group of scientists curing dogs affected with rickets by feeding cod liver oil to them.1
Other metabolic bone diseases are osteoporosis, gout, OSTEOARTHRITIS, and PAGET'S DISEASE. Nutritional Disorders Nutritional deficiencies that result in bone damage include RICKETS in children and osteomalacia in adults, caused by a lack of vitamin D. In children, calcium and phosphate are poorly distributed on bones during development, resulting especially in deformity of the legs and arms. In adults, bones of the spine, pelvis, and legs become demineralized and the bones weaken.
These include diseases such as rickets which is caused by a lack of vitamin D. A lack of calcium leads to poor growth in children. At this tender life stage this is a very negative thing because children are still at the peak of their physical development. The malnutrition could have caused stunting which is because the malnutrition hinders growth in their height and weight. Sometimes stunted growth can be permanent and a child may never be able to return to a normal height or weight.
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays an important role in DNA synthesis and nerve function. It is contained in high amounts in animal derived foods such as milk, eggs, and meat. The vitamin is stored in the liver long-term. Individuals with vegetarian, vegan, or other forms of restricted diet may develop the condition after approximately 6 months as liver stores of vitamin B12 become depleted. Some individuals develop the condition due to autoimmune destruction of cells in the stomach that produce intrinsic factor. Intrinsic factor is necessary for proper absorption of vitamin B12 in the small intestine.
The body can manufacture only vitamin D; all others must be derived from the diet. Lack of them causes a wide range of metabolic and other dysfunctions. In the U.S., since 1940, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council has published recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Vitamin E is the general classification for a group of eight fat-soluble compounds of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Vitamin E functions primarily as an antioxidant, but also has other roles in the body [1].
Vitamin D is a necessary component for calcium absorption to prevent boss loss. Nutritionally our body can create vitamin D by sun exposure however many factors can prevent our bodies to create vitamin D such as using sunblock or not getting enough sun exposer from daily routine. Vitamin D can be found in many foods that we such as milk including almond milk, eggs yolks, saltwater fish, and liver. Other vitamins that can help prevent bone loss are vitamin A and C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps reduce oxidative stress which can have a negative effect on the cells in the body. This helps protect against inflammation which takes away calcium from the bones. Vitamin C can be found in many foods such as papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, strawberries, pineapples, oranges and kiwifruit and fruit juices have supplement vitamins. Vitamin A is important for bone growth, vision, cell division and cell differentiation. There are two different forms of vitamin A are retinol and beta-carotene. Retinol can be found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy products while beta-carotene can be found in fruits, vegetables and
Rickets is a bone disease that occurs in children as a result of a Vitamin D deficiency. This disease, which was nearly eradicated in the early 20th century, has become a re-emerging health concern for various countries in the past ten years. Certain factors such as poor nutrition as a result of low socioeconomic status or high concentrations of melanin in the skin can increase the chances of getting rickets. Sufficient Vitamin D levels are crucial to the functioning of the body, especially in the absorption of calcium. This essay will examine the causes, symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of rickets; as well as the importance of Vitamin D and calcium in the prevention and treatment of this disease.
My average intake is 66 mg. it is lower than the required Vitamin C intake. Deficiency in Vitamin C can develop scurvy, if vitamin C is missing on our diet. Oranges, lemon and other citrus fruits, bell pepper, kiwi broccoli, berries, tomatoes and papayas are rich in Vitamin C . Lack of Vitamin D on diet can develop rickets to small children. The required intake for this vitamins is 15microgram and my report is zero. Vitamin D can be achieved from exposure of skin to ultra violet rays of the sun. Vitamin E is responsible for transmission of nerve impulses, body weakness and eye problem that can cause blindness. My nutrient intake for Vitamin 10 mg AT and the require intake is 15 mg AT, which is 5 mg lower than the require amount. Food related to Vitamin E are green leafy vegies such as spinach, kale are rich in Vitamin E, in addition, broccoli, hazel nuts, squash and pumpkin are also rich in Vitamin E. My vitamin K intake is 3 microgram, way too low compared to the requirement which is 90 microgram. Vitamin K deficiency can cause hemorrhagic disease of new born. Food that gives Vitamin K are green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach, canola oils, olive oils, and
Vitamin D plays an integral role in multiple systems in the human body, from its function in Calcium and Phosphorus metabolism, to modulation of the immune and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases (Grober et al. 2013). Unfortunately, factors such as diet, geographic position, and skin pigmentation are contributing to an increase of prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency around the world, consequently leading to a higher rate of associated illnesses. Namely, Cardiovascular Diseases such as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), Hypertensive Vascular Disease, and Myocardial Infarction have been shown to be more common in people with lower levels of Vitamin D in their system (Lavie, Lee & Milani 2011).
Investigation into the effect of storage or cooking on the vitamin C content of a food substance: