Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that can be found in food but significant amounts of vitamin D can also be produced by the body. It can be obtained from sun exposure, food, and supplements are biologically inert and must undergo two hydroxylations in the body for activation. The two major forms of which are vitamins D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).
This paper not only looks into the essential function of vitamin D on the subject of bone health, but also other non-calcemic functions of vitamin D.
The major biologic function of Vitamin D is to maintain a healthy level of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D assures calcium and phosphorus that are vital for bone health, is always available to the body’s tissue. In fact, studies show that vitamin D increases the efficiency of the body’s absorption of calcium thirty to forty percent and phosphorus by eight percent. (Gilchrest).
Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle, soft, or misshapen. Calcitriol (active form of vitamin D) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) control the level of calcium in three ways (Brown, Philpott, Kalita).
Firstly, vitamin D increases calcium absorption in the small intestine by up-regulating several genes that code for proteins required for the transport of dietary calcium into the enterocytes. Secondly, they stimulate bone breakdown by osteoclasts and thirdly, they reduce the excretion of calcium into the urine so that more calcium would remain in the blood. If the plasma becomes less than saturated with respect to calcium and phosphate, then mineralization fails, which results in rickets among children and osteomalacia among adults (DeLuca).
The Essay on Calcium Homeostasis
Calcium plays a very significant role in our bodies. Approximately 99 percent of the calcium in our bodies is stored in the teeth and bones. Calcium generates about two percent of our total body weight. Calcium is crucial in bone formation, keeping strong bones and teeth and is known for helping to prevent osteoporosis. Although calcium is mostly thought about in the bones and teeth, it also plays ...
Meanwhile, vitamin D and calcium are critical in preventing osteoporosis in men and women fifty years old and older. Recently, a lot of scientific evidence points that vitamin D has functions beyond calcium homeostasis. One of the most recognized functions is cell differentiation by stimulating immature cells to become mature, functioning cells. The movement of vitamin D along with vitamin A into the nucleus of the cell stimulates the genes coding for specific proteins. For example, vitamin D causes immature bone cells to become mature bone marrow cells and causes certain intestinal epithelial cells to differentiate into mature enterocytes.
Thus, vitamin D is said to promote bone health and involved gastrointestinal function. Experts even suggest that vitamin D may help prevent certain types of cancer like colon, breast, skin and prostate based upon its role in cell differentiation. In addition, vitamin D is a potent immune system modulator. Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is found in significant concentrations in the T lymphocyte and macrophage populations (DeLuca HF).
Activation of the VDR has potent anti-proliferative, pro-differentiative, and immunomodulatory functions including both immune-enchancing and immunosuppressive effects. Nagpal S, Na S, Rathnachalam R. ).
There is growing evidence for an involvement of vitamin D in infections, particularly in tuberculosis, and also in various autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. (Deluca HF, Cantorna MT) Research also indicates that vitamin D may play a role in preventing heart diseases. There is an inverse correlation between low level of vitamin D and coronary diseases. J. Wang, M.
D. , assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School said that vitamin D receptors have a broad tissue distribution that includes vascular smooth muscle and endothelium, the inner lining of the body’s vessels. Collected data raises the possibility that treating vitamin D deficiency via supplementation or lifestyle measures could reduce cardiovascular risk. However, experts recommends that these results are intriguing and suggestive but need to be followed up with further study. A study by Joyce C. McCann and Bruce N.
The Essay on Cell Phone Radiation Phones Brain Ionizing
Hazards of Mobile Cell Phone Radiation In 1994, there were 16 million cell phone users in the U. S. alone. As of July 2002, there were more than 150 million in the U. S, and over 750 million worldwide. The word radiation is often thought of as referring to the emanations from radioactive materials and X-rays. However, when scientists use the word radiation, they are usually referring to the ...
Ames, Ph at Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) conclude that there is ample biological evidence to suggest an important role for vitamin D in brain development and functions. They point out that evidence for vitamin D’s involvement in brain function includes the wide distribution of vitamin D receptors throughout the brain. In the paper, vitamin D has the ability to affect proteins in the brain known to be directly involved in learning and memory, motor control, and possibly even maternal and social behavior.
The review also discusses studies in both humans and animals that present suggestive though not definitive evidence of cognitive or behavioral consequences of vitamin D inadequacy. In conclusion, vitamin D endocrine system, besides playing pivotal roles in calcium homeostasis and bone mineral metabolism, is now recognized to wide variety of functions. Vitamin D regulate calcium level by stimulating calcium absorption in the intestine, decreasing calcium loss in the urine, and increasing breakdown of bone cells for release of calcium into the blood.
Vitamin D also influences the regulation of genes that are important for cell differentiation and maturation. Based on theory, vitamin D affects the immune system by promoting phagocytosis, anti-tumor activity, and immunodulatory functions. (Nagpal S, Na S, Rathnachalam R. ) However, the benefits of vitamin D like preventing heart disease and brain development’s safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. The rule of thumb is we should take the recommendation dosage of 200 IU daily for individual under fifty years old and 400 IU for those over fifty to ensure our calcium homeostasis and bone health.
The Research paper on Localization Of Brain Function
Psychologists have found that the brain often shows “localization of function”. This means that different parts of the brain carry out different tasks, for example, vision, voluntary movement and speech. The idea is that not all parts of the brain do the same thing, and that each part functions on its own, without the aid of other areas of the brain. This may seem obvious, but other organs, such ...
