What is Vitamin A? What are the Benefits of Vitamin A?

Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin that is best known for its positive effects on helping the eyes adjust to changes in the light. Vitamin A contributes to the overall health of the eyes, the skin and the mucous membranes. This particular vitamin, which is also commonly referred to as Retinol, can be mostly found in animal food sources, but there are also a number of plant based food sources that supply beta carotene, which is converted into Vitamin A within the body. Vitamin A is also generally regarded as an excellent antioxidant, which means that it is responsible for neutralizing the free radicals within the body that cause damage to cells and tissue.

It has been suggested by scientific studies in the past that beta carotene and Vitamin A can help people who have Coronary Artery Disease or CAD. However, it is not recommended that beta carotene or Vitamin A supplements be taken for this purpose yet, until more scientific research can be conducted. It is already known that Vitamin A and beta carotene have a positive effect on the body, though it is not yet known what exactly Vitamin A can do for the body, especially when it comes to Coronary Artery Disease or CAD.

Vitamins are most commonly categorized based on what materials they can be dissolved in, and for that reason, Vitamin A is categorized as a fat soluble vitamin. Other fat soluble vitamins include vitamins D, E and K. The alternative is vitamins that are water soluble. Fat soluble vitamins are stored within the fat tissue in the body, and they can be stored from as little as a few days until as many as six months. If you ingest too much of a fat soluble vitamin, it can be stored in the wrong place such as your liver, which can cause problems in your body. Fat soluble vitamins should never be taken in large doses, as this can lead to toxicity issues.

There are actually a number of health problems that make it difficult for people to absorb vitamins like Vitamin A. It is important to know how vitamin absorption will be affected by chronic health conditions. It is also important to know how much Vitamin A you need to consume for your optimum health. It is generally recommended that women consume around 800 mcg of Vitamin A, and that men consume 1000 mcg of Vitamin A daily for optimum health. Luckily, there are a number of sources of Vitamin A available, including beef liver, cheddar cheese, fortified milk, egg yolk, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, apricots, cantaloupe and spinach or other collared greens.

Vitamin A deficiencies are not all too common in the United States, but when this vitamin deficiency does occur, it can cause night blindness, inflammation of the eyes, diarrhea and a variety of other problems. Over consuming vitamin A on the other hand can cause problems relating to irritability, nausea, blurred vision and many other issues. Someone who takes too much vitamin A can have their feet and hands turn orange. Serious Vitamin A toxicity can cause hair loss, an enlarged spleen and liver, and even growth retardation in severe forms. For this very reason, it is important for you to understand how much vitamin A you are getting in your diet. If you are getting enough vitamin A and beta carotene in your food products, there is no need to take a vitamin supplement.

If you want to get the most amounts of vitamins possible from your foods, then you should immediately refrigerate your fresh produce products, and should keep milk and grain products out of strong amounts of light. The vitamins in your foods are easily washed out or destroyed during the food preparation and storage processes. If you are taking your vitamin A in the form of a supplement, you should make sure to store them in a cool and dry place that has no excess moisture.

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The Uses of Vitamins

A vitamin is in essence known as a key nutrient that everyone's body needs to continue to build and stay healthy and fighting fit.

Altogether there are 13 individual amounts of vitamins that have been found in various sources from 1909 to the most recent in 1941. Looking at the 13 selections of vitamins, four are fat soluble and the other 9 as water soluble. This basically means that water soluble vitamins do not get reserved in the body so they need to be consumed in your diet from day to day, while fat soluble are easily stored in your body and won't need to be taken every day. The main types of vitamins that are always present in the human diet are A, C, D and E and they can be found in many types of food supplements and from other surprisingly different sources.

The A Factor

The very first of the vitamins to be uncovered was Vitamin A known in some circles as Retinol. Vitamin A was found back as early as 1909 in cod liver oil and can now be found in many food elements. Many of these are meat items such as pork, chicken and beef nevertheless if your a vegetarian don't fear! Vitamin A can also be found in the likes of butter. Vitamin A has many advantags that consist of helping your sight, reinforcing your immune system and by and large maintaining and improving your body to a fit and healthy level. Taking in more vitamins than you need can lead to a disease called Hypervitaminosis A which can then result in dry skin and osteoporosis.

The C Factor

Vitamin C is next in line and can be described as the second important vitamin that is an essential part of a human or higher primate's diet. First discovered in 1912 from a source of lemons, Vitamin C is questionably the most renknowned vitamin on the market with traces in most major fruit produce such as strawberries and tomatoes. Vitamin C takes effect internally within your body in protecting cells and keeping them in a healthy state, and helping the body soak up iron from the food that you eat. Vitamin C can't be stored in the body and consequently it falls into one of the water soluble vitamins so you will need to take it regularly.

A History Of Vitamin D

Onto the third of our 4 main vitamins, Vitamin D, which was discovered at the end of World War I back in 1918. Now most people identify this vitamin solely with fish products like cod and tuna. However Vitamin D can also be found in such foods as milk and cereal grains, and can even be absorbed by time spent in the sun. The benefits of Vitamin D can consist of a radiant white smile as it controls the calcium and phosphate in your body which in addition strengthens the bones in your body. On the down side a vitamin deficiency can lead to some very serious problems which include the likes of rickets, chronic pain and depression. In the event of you taking an overdose you will experience the same kind of affects as Vitamin A with a disease called Hypervitaminosis D with side effects such as sickness, diarrhea and fatigue.

About Vitamin E

Eventually we come to Vitamin E which was the latest of our main 4 vitamins to be discovered, this was found in 1922 in a source of wheat germ oil. Foods with Vitamin E in can include nuts, peanuts and avocado. The suggested dosage of this vitamin can help protect your body by acting as an antioxidant that will help to fend off any diseases that can affect your immune system and help to fight off illnesses and other general hazards that can threaten your health. Overdosing on this vitamin could be a serious health risk and could potentially leads to a chronic disease such as lung cancer.

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What Is A Vitamin? Fat Soluble Versus Water Soluble Vitamins

A vitamin is an extremely complex organic substance needed in very small amounts in the diet, but is essential for human life and metabolic processes. Metabolic processes would include growth, maintenance, and health. The body is not capable of producing sufficient quantities of vitamins to supply its needs under normal circumstances.

There are some substances that we would call vitamin-like substances that are not considered essential since the body's tissues are usually able to produce them in sufficient amounts. Sometimes, they are supplied as composite parts of vitamin complexes of other nutrients.

Each vitamin has its own unique function in the human body and cannot be replaced by any other substance. Vitamins, for example, as coenzymes, perform principally as regulators of metabolic activity at a physical and chemical level at a cellular level. These processes play important roles in energy production.

Vitamins are obtained typically from foods and are an integral part of a nutritive mix or compound which is exquisitely interlaced and fused with the whole food itself. Some vitamins are just provitamins or they are precursor to a whole food vitamin preparation. In other words, these precursors are converted into the required active substances within the body.

Although vitamins often times are considered to be a single substance, each vitamin is actually a group of chemically related compounds. Separating or fractioning the group or the compounds into a single incomplete vitamin portion converts it from a physiological, biochemical, active micronutrient into a disabled, debilitated chemical of little or no value to living cells.

Traditionally, the most convenient way to classify vitamins is by their solubility. Basically, what that means is, are they capable of being dissolved in water or fat.

Fat-soluble vitamins are soluble in fat solvents. In other words, they are held in fats and absorbed with dietary fats and offer integrated fats into the diet. Fat-soluble vitamins are insoluble in water. The fat-soluble vitamins would include the following: Vitamin A, D, E, K, and the essential fatty acids. Fat soluble vitamins typically are not excreted in the urine, but tend to be stored in moderate amounts in our bodies.

Water soluble vitamins of course are soluble in water and are thus suspended in water molecules and food. These will include all the vitamins of the B complex and C complex groups.

The traditional view of vitamins for many, many decades had been that they were compounds essential for preventing deficiency diseases and as coenzymes or activators in key physical and chemical reactions in the body. Now, as we understand more what vitamins do in our bodies, we are identifying new functions and roles that are being found by these vital nutrients. Vitamin needs by our human body vary from individual to individual.

Nutritional requirements by individuals also vary from individual to individual, and although each person needs all the same nutrients, the quantities of each nutrient needed daily are distinctively different for every individual. Each individual human has patterns and needs all of his own, which in itself may vary due to environmental, circumstantial, and genetic conditions.

Most of our vitamins can be found in food and are either directly or indirectly produced by plants. The exceptions are vitamin D which can be produced in adequate amounts by the body utilizing the ultraviolet light from the sun and vitamin B12 which can be produced by fungus, soil microorganisms, and some bacteria. The intestinal bacteria normally also produce at least a portion of the needed vitamin K, as well as smaller quantities of some other B complex factors.

Nevertheless, vitamin-rich whole foods are still the only source or the most important source of virtually all vitamins. Some of the best sources of vitamins include seeds of all kinds including nuts, whole grains, and eggs, particularly the germ, which would eventually develop into a new plant or animal, yeast, yeast extracts, liver and some other organ meats, since the vitamins tend to concentrate in organ tissues in animals, and finally fruits and vegetables. How do we know if we are deficient to certain vitamins or minerals?

A subclinical deficiency means the body's vitamin or mineral or trace mineral stores are gradually drained resulting in loss of optimal health and impaired body process that depend on that particular nutrient.

In future articles, I will be discussing the various different vitamins, what foods they can be found in, and their importance in overall human health. Until then, I would recommend you consult with your family physician or healthcare provider for more information on vitamin, nutritional needs.

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Discount Vitamins: From A To K

Can discount vitamins actually hold a piece of nature? The answer is YES. Vitamins not only prove quite natural, but many also function as vital components to life. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K serve as the basic foundation for this wide variety of crucial organic substances. For the most part the body cannot produce these on its own. Although nature solves this problem with a rich selection of food sources, a problem lies in this very solution. Busy lives and technologically advanced food processing and environmental pollutants often prevent people from receiving adequate vitamin levels. While over-packed schedules disturb balanced diets, food too often just does not contain the necessary sources it once did. Nonetheless, supplements can easily fill this modern world gap. Nature has not changed, only its appearance.

Before taking any vitamin supplement, it is crucial to first become educated. What does this substance do for the body? What foods contain it? What factors prevent a person from receiving adequate levels? And most importantly, how much should be taken of each? Too often, people devalue the potency of vitamins. Thinking they are natural, people disregard things such as doses or other instructions. However, vitamins should not be underestimated. If the body needs them, they must be powerful in some way. Too much can be just as or more harmful than too little. A person should always consult a doctor or a trained dietician for the doses that properly correlate with his/her specific make-up.

Vitamins can be divided into two basic categories: fat soluble and water soluble. Of the six basic vitamins stated earlier, vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat soluble, and vitamins B and C are water soluble. The characteristics of these two categories relate to optimum absorption and body storage capabilities. Fat soluble vitamins can only be absorbed when dissolved in fat. This is why vitamins A, D, E, and K should always be taken with food. The liver possesses the ability to store surplus levels of these substances for later use. Water soluble vitamins only need water to dissolve. However, because of this, they are easily lost by the body as well. Unlike fat soluble vitamins, water soluble substances need to be constantly taken.

Vitamin A
Vitamin A helps keep teeth, tissue, membranes, and skin healthy. Directly involved in the production of retina pigments, A is extremely important for eye sight, especially in poor lighting. Studies have indicated that it may be very important for breast-feeding mothers as well.

Because it is found in many foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol, people often unknowingly avoid vitamin A as well. Subsequently, a deficiency may result. These foods include meats, eggs, cheese, and cream. The body can use fruits and vegetables to produce A from beta-carotene. Carrots, sweet potato, cantaloupe, broccoli, and many green, leafy vegetables, such as spinach, are good choices. (Generally, deeper, richer colors indicate higher quantities of beta-carotene.) While fruits and vegetables are usually low in saturated fats and cholesterol, many "on-the-go" schedules make them difficult to eat. However, with the guidelines of a medical professional, a supplement can give the body its necessary dose while leaving weight, arteries, and calendars undisturbed.

Vitamin B
There are actually eight separate vitamins in the B family: thiamin (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, biotin, and pantothenic. B vitamins increase energy levels, regulate metabolism, and help create new red blood cells. Foods with high B levels include meats, fish, liver, dark/leafy vegetables, whole-grains, and fortified products. Nonetheless, for the same reasons as vitamin A, B may also prove difficult to get. Ironically, hectic lives often have little time for these foods, but people with high stress may need vitamin B's energy-producing ability more than ever. Due to the list's quantity of animal products, vegetarians may also find themselves at high-risk for deficiencies. While each B vitamin can be found by itself, discount vitamins offer B-complex supplements. The combination usually proves easier for maintaining safe ratios between the eight different kinds.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is also referred to as ascorbic acid. Functioning as an excellent antioxidant, it has the ability to prevent the harmful oxidation of cells. While vitamin E and beta-carotene are also anti-oxidants, C works excellently with E in this process. Vitamin C is also connected with the health of bones, teeth, hormones, collagen, and blood vessels. It plays an important role in absorbing other important substances, such as iron, calcium, and folacin, and it may help cataracts, cancer, and heart disease. Vitamin C is particularly connected with the strengthening of the immune system and the healing wounds.

Many fruits and vegetables provide good sources of vitamin C. These include citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and dark green vegetables. When sick with a cold or flu, many people use lozenges as a vitamin C source. However, the sugar in these "remedies" actually weakens the immune system. Increased doctor-recommended supplement levels of C may prove more effective. A variety of other factors cause the body to need higher C levels as well. These include smoking, growth in children and unborn babies, drugs such as oral contraceptives, and increased levels of stress and anxiety.

Vitamin D
Turned into a steroid hormone by the body, vitamin D possesses a crucial connection with gene functioning. It significantly impacts how much calcium the body can absorb, and it is vital for bone density and prevention against osteoporosis. However, vitamin D may have even further capabilities. More and more new research finds that D may play an important role in fighting diseases such as colon, breast, and prostate cancers.

While foods such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, and fortified products contain vitamin D, the body largely produces this substance from sun rays absorbed through the skin. This puts many people at risk, especially older people that often stay indoors and people with darker skin that require longer time for sun absorption. Although D is vital for bone growth in child development, studies reveal that a substantial number of children may be deficient as well. Nevertheless, even if people are not members of any of these populations, they should not let down their guard. It is easy for harmfully low amounts to go unnoticed. Due to vitamin D's importance, it is advisable for everyone to talk with their doctor. A simple blood test can reveal a deficiency.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E is involved with immune system, DNA, and metabolism maintenance. As an antioxidant, research indicates that it may have a positive effect against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin E can be found in nuts, particularly almonds, wheat germ oil, vegetable oil, green/leafy vegetables, and enriched cereals.

Vitamin K
While involved in protection against osteoporosis, skin wounds, and possibly cancer, Vitamin K significantly helps blood to clot after an injury. Also found in a variety of foods, especially vegetables, K most often forms from intestine bacteria in the body. However, various circumstances can prevent the body from receiving the proper amount. Medications, such as antibiotics and blood-thinners, can cause a hindrance. Injuries and illness, such as serious burns, gallbladder problems, and liver disease, may also disturb K levels. While vitamin K shortages are uncommon, particular attention should be given to breast-fed babies and the elderly. Older people are typically known to take more medications, to eat poorly, and to have difficulties forming vitamin K in the intestine. Because breast-milk contains poor K levels, it is important that mothers eat an adequate quantity of green vegetables or take an extra doctor-prescribed supplement during this time.

A variety of foods contain vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K. However, while eating a diet full of these foods may prove difficult, no one can be sure that fertilizers, food-processing techniques, cooking preparations, and other modern factors have not depleted their natural organic quantities. No need to wonder or worry. Medical professionals and dieticians can provide information on the best available discount vitamins and their proper use. No one should have to go without the organic substances that nature intended.

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Benefits of Vitamin A, Sources and Deficiency

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and plays an important role in vision, development and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, mucous membranes; immune functions; and reproduction.

Vitamin A is also called retinol. It may be found in any of these forms:

· retinol - the animal form of vitamin A
· other retinoids - retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and related compounds
· carotenoids - organic pigments that are naturally occurring in plants.

Daily requirement of Vitamin A –

Measurement of the amount of vitamin A is taken in retinol activity equivalents (RAE).

The recommended daily requirement for vitamin A is 700 RAE (retinol activity equivalent) per day for women and 900 RAE per day for men. The requirements are different for growing children, during puberty, and for women who are pregnant or lactating; therefore, please consult your doctor for differences.

Benefits of Vitamin A –

« Vitamin A promotes healthy surface linings of the eyes and the respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts.

« Helps the skin and mucous membranes function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses.

What are the good sources of Vitamin A?

Eating a variety of foods that contain vitamin A (and carotenes) is the best way to get an adequate amount. Fit individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. In fact, too much vitamin A can be toxic.

Alcohol, coffee, or excessive iron can all deplete the body's supply of this essential vitamin. But, the good news is that vitamin A is readily available from numerous food sources.
It can be obtained from food in two different forms –

1. Pre-formed vitamin A (called retinol or retinal), found in animal sources. Sources include liver, whole milk, and some fortified food products.

2. Pro-vitamin A (beta-carotene), from plant sources. Come from colourful fruits and vegetables.

The top ten vitamin A-rich foods:

· liver

· sweet potato

· carrots

· mango

· spinach

· cantaloupe

· dried apricots

· milk

· egg yolk

· mozzarella cheese

Low fat and skimmed milk is often fortified with vitamin A because it is removed from milk with the fat.
Vitamin A in foods that come from animals is well absorbed and used efficiently by the body. Vitamin A in foods that come from plants is not as well absorbed as animal sources of vitamin A.

A word of caution:

Too much vitamin A, either from animal sources or supplements, can prove toxic and is particularly dangerous during pregnancy. Excess beta carotene, on the other hand, isn't toxic but can give one a distinct orange hue.

What are the risks associated with vitamin A deficiency?

Zinc is required to make retinol binding protein (RBP) which transports vitamin A in the body. Therefore, a deficiency of zinc limits the body's ability to move vitamin A from the liver to body tissues.

« Night blindness is one of the first signs of vitamin A deficiency.

« Vitamin A deficiency diminishes the ability to fight infections, such as pneumonia.

« Deficiency may increase a child's risk of developing respiratory infections, diarrhea, decreased growth rate, slow bone development, and decrease likelihood of survival from serious illness.

Vegans who do not consume eggs and dairy foods need provitamin A carotenoids to meet their need for vitamin A. They should include a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables in their daily diet and regularly choose dark green leafy vegetables and orange and yellow fruits to fulfil recommended amounts of vitamin A.

Vitamin A storage –

Vitamins are easily destroyed and washed out during food preparation and storage.

« If you want to get the maximum vitamin possible from food, refrigerate fresh produce, and keep milk and grains away from strong light.

« Vitamin A can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage. To retain vitamin A:

« Serve fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible.

« Keep vegetables and fruits covered and refrigerated during storage.

« Steam vegetables , roast or bake meats instead of frying. Some vitamin A is lost in the fat during frying.

« If you take vitamin supplements, store them at room temperature in a dry place that is free of moisture.

What happens if Vitamin A is taken too much?

Some research suggests that having more than an average of 1.5mg per day of vitamin A over many years may affect bones and make them more likely to fracture when older.
Older people, particularly women, are already at risk of osteoporosis. This is where bone density reduces and so the risk of fractures increases.

If pregnant, having large amounts of vitamin A can harm your unborn baby. Therefore, if you are pregnant or thinking of having a baby, you should avoid eating liver or liver products because these are very high in vitamin A. You should also avoid taking supplements that contain vitamin A.

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Vitamin D for Pain Relief?

The D vitamin was discovered in 1919, it is often known as the sun vitamin because a form of the vitamin is produced when the sun warms our skin.

Along with calcium, it has long been linked to bone health and the prevention of bone diseases like rickets and osteoporosis, but researchers now believe the sun vitamin may have other health benefits as well.


Having too little vitamin D has been linked to chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. In some chronic pain cases, doctors will diagnose the patient with low D levels using a standard test and administer vitamin supplements.

Often, this seemed to ease the patient’s pain.

Vitamin D deficiency which can lead to osteopenia, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, fractures, common cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases, has been found to be lacking particularly in inhabitants of colder climates.

*A recent study, for example, indicated that the median adult intake of vitamin D in the US is only 230 IU per day, versus the researchers' recommended 2000 IU per day.

Dutch researchers have also linked vitamin D deficiency to depression in older adults.

The researchers still had many unanswered questions, but noted that low levels of vitamin D lead to overproduction of a parathyroid hormone, which has been linked to signs of depression. The researchers are planning further tests to determine whether the low D levels are a cause or the affect of the depression.

In a separate study, a Canadian research team led by Dr. Pamela Goodwin studied the vitamin D levels in breast cancer patients.

The team found patients with sufficient levels of vitamin D were less likely to die of breast cancer or have the cancer spread.

This may be because vitamin D works in the body to block the growth of abnormal cells and also hinders the type of blood vessels that feed tumours.

With almost 50,000 deaths in the U.S. each year from breast cancer alone, these findings could have a huge impact on American health.

Weatherford’s Dr. Nusrat (Ness) Khan, M.D. FAAP, added previous research suggests calcium and vitamin D could connect to receptors on some tumours causing the tumour cells to slow down production, and in some cases will cause the cells to die (a process called apoptosis).



Kahn also cited a 2006 study which found appropriate levels of calcium and vitamin D decreased polyps in the colon, and another study which indicated appropriate levels of calcium decreased the risks of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women.

"An appropriate amount of calcium and vitamin D — about 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium, and 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D — does have a protective effect on osteoporosis and maybe on pre-menopausal breast cancer and colon cancer," Khan summarised.

"But just because some is good, more is not necessarily better," he said.

Since there is no evidence showing increasing vitamin D through sun exposure outweighs the risks of developing skin cancer, using a vitamin D supplement is the safest way to be sure you’re getting the required daily amount.

The key to maintaining healthy amounts of calcium and vitamin D lies in following recommended amounts and in consulting a physician for individual needs.

Khan also emphasised how people receive their vitamins and minerals is very important.

"We must emphasise natural sources," he said. "From a nutritional standpoint, we should rely first and foremost on our diet, and secondly on vitamin supplements."

For calcium and vitamin D, Khan recommends dairy products like milk and yoghurt. Seafood is also a good source of D.

Khan recommends using vitamin supplements to make up for what diet doesn’t provide.

Vitamin D inadequacy can be easily and inexpensively treated using a prescription supplement, once or twice a week for four to six weeks, according to Hooten.

Deficiency in vitamin D affects inhabitants of colder climates, because sunlight induces synthesis of vitamin D in humans. As such, if a consumer is not getting adequate exposure to the sun for vitamin D and its subsequent impact on their serum 25 (OH) D levels, they should be supplementing with vitamin D.

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors - D3, also known as cholecalciferol, and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. The former, produced in the skin on exposure to UVB radiation (290 to 320 nm), is said to be more bioactive. The latter is derived from plants and only enters the body via the diet.

My own view is that the implications are that in chronic pain patients, vitamin D inadequacy is not the principal cause of pain and muscle weakness, however, it could be a contributing but unrecognised factor."


Anyone beginning to take supplements should also check with their GP to make sure the vitamins won’t interfere with any other medications.

You should check the labels to make sure the pills do not provide more than the recommended daily allowance of vitamin D.

Terry O’Brien

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Benefits of Vitamin D, Sources and Deficiency

Vitamin D or calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is mostly made in the human body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. The liver and kidney help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form.

Benefits of Vitamin D?

« Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. Vitamin D deficiency can make bones thin, brittle, soft and easily prone to fractures. Without sufficient vitamin D, our body cannot absorb calcium, rendering calcium supplements useless.

« Vitamin D acts like a hormone, thus regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine.

« It helps to control the movement of calcium between bone and blood, and vice versa.

« It helps bone mineralization along with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones of the body.

« Vitamin D prevents osteoporosis, depression, prostate cancer, breast cancer, and even helps control diabetes and obesity.

What are the sources of Vitamin D?

Food sources –

Only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. Foods with naturally occurring vitamin D are usually animal derived containing the vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). They include egg yolk, liver, fatty fish and fish oils. Smaller amounts are also present in dark leafy vegetables.

Fortified foods are the major dietary sources of vitamin D. Although milk, soya milk is fortified with vitamin D, dairy products made from milk such as curd, cheese, yogurt are usually not fortified.

It is important for individuals with limited sun exposure to include rich sources of vitamin D in their diet.

Exposure to sunlight –

Exposure to sunlight is an important source of vitamin D as ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin.
It is nearly impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from diet. Sunlight exposure is the only reliable way to generate vitamin D in the body.

What can Vitamin D deficiency lead to?

« Vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets in children which results in skeletal deformities. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia, which results in muscular weakness in addition to weak bones.

« Osteoporosis is commonly caused by a lack of vitamin D, which resists calcium absorption.

« Insufficient vitamin D leads to prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, colon cancer.

« Vitamin D deficiency may also make a person prone to Type 2 diabetes and impair insulin production. Infants who receive vitamin D supplementation have around 80% reduced risk of developing type 1 diabetes over the next twenty years.

« Vitamin D deficiency causes schizophrenia.

How much vitamin D is required?

The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine considers an intake of 1,000 IU for infants up to 12 months of age and 2,000 IU for children, adults, pregnant, and lactating women to be the tolerable upper intake level.

Daily intake above this level increases the risk of toxicity and is not advised.

Who all are at risk of Vitamin D deficiency?

« Older people as the ability of the skin to convert vitamin D to its active hormonal form decreases
with age. The kidneys, which help convert vitamin D, do not work quite well when people age.

« People who do not get adequate exposure to sunlight, such as women who cover their body outside for religious or cultural reasons or individuals working in occupations that prevent exposure to sunlight.

« People with dark skin synthesize less vitamin D on exposure to sunlight than those with light skin.

« Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Once vitamin D is synthesized in the skin, it is deposited in the body fat, making it less bio-available to overweight and obese people..

« Individuals who have reduced ability to absorb dietary fat as Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This may be due to conditions such as pancreatic enzyme deficiency, Crohn's disease, bowel disease.

« Exclusively breast-fed infants because human milk may not contain adequate vitamin D.

Is too much of vitamin D risky?

Intake of too much vitamin D can cause toxicity leading to nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. It can also raise levels of calcium, causing mental status changes.

Calcinosis, the deposition of calcium and phosphate in soft tissues such as kidneys, lungs, blood vessels and heart can be caused by vitamin D toxicity. The kidneys may be permanently damaged and start malfunctioning.

A word of caution:

Even weak sunscreens (SPF of 8) block the body's ability to generate vitamin D by 95%. This is how sunscreen products actually cause disease by creating a critical vitamin deficiency in the body. Chronic Vitamin D deficiency cannot be reversed overnight: it takes months of vitamin D supplementation and sunlight exposure to rebuild the body's bones and nervous system.

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