Health, Nutrition & Fitness

Vitamin D – Foods with Vitamin D and Deficiency of Vitamin D

Information about Vitamin D, its source, foods containing Vitamin D and symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D is the only vitamin whose biologically active form is hormone. For healthy children and adults, exposing the hands, face and arms on a clear summer day for 10-15 minutes several times each week provides adequate vitamin D. the main function of vitamin D is bone metabolism and calcium homeostasis.

Foods with Vitamin D

Canned pink salmon, canned tuna, cod liver oil, sunshine, eggs, vitamin D-fortified milk, fortified orange juice, fortified cereal, fortified margarine, sardines, and fish roe, Brief and casual exposure to sunlight can be safely encouraged. Sunlight and vitamin D exposure tend to be low in northern during winter months.

Absorption, metabolism and excretion of Vitamin D

Two forms of vitamin D are metabolically active. Vitamin D2, ergocalciferol, is is formed when ergosterol in plants is eradicated by ultraviolet light or sunlight. Vitamin D3 is formed when 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin of animals or humans is eradicated by ultraviolet light or sunlight.

Both forms are absorbed in to the blood,. About 50% of dietary vitamin D is absorbed, most rapidly in the duodenum but the greatest amount in the distal small intestine. Like other fat soluble vitamins, it is transported in the blood bound to protein. The liver alters the vitamin to calcidiol; an inactive form of vitamin D. by enzyme action, the kidney converts the calcitriol, the active form of vitamin.

Functions of vitamin D

 

Calcium metabolism

The principal function of vitamin D is to regulate calcium levels in the blood and tissues. A fall in blood calcium will trigger production of active vitamin D, which stimulates calcium absorption from the diet, increases release of calcium from bones, and slows renal excretion.

Skeletal health

Vitamin D is essential for normal bone growth during childhood and for maintaining bone density and strength during adulthood. Vitamin D enhances calcium absorption from foods and increase calcium and mineral deposition in to skeleton.

Cell growth and development

Vitamin D is an important regulator of cell development throughout the body, particularly in the white blood cells and epithelial cells.

Immune system

Vitamin D enhances the activity and responses of white blood cells in infections.

Increased risk of vitamin D deficiency

  • Biliary obstruction
  • Celiac disease
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Diabetes
  • Drug use (glucocorticoides, Phenobarbital, primidone)
  • End organ failure
  • Fanconi’s disease
  • Hepatic disease
  • Hypertension
  • Primary hypophosphatemia
  • Hypoparathyrodism
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Intestinal Malabsorption
  • Lack of exposure to sunlight
  • Lymphatic obstruction
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Nephritic syndrome
  • Neurological and psychiatric conditions such as depression and bipolar disorder
  • Pancreatitis
  • Parathyroid surgery
  • Postmenopausal status
  • Prematurity
  • Renal disease and dialysis
  • Small bowel reaction
  • Tropical sprue

Sign and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency

 

Children

  • Delayed growth and development (child begins crawling and walking late)
  • Irritability and restlessness
  • Rickets: softening of bones, spinal deformities, bowed legs, knock knees, enlargement of rib-sternum joints
  • Delayed tooth eruption and poorly formed tooth enamel
  • Impaired immune response with increased risk of infection

 

Adolescents

  • Impaired growth of bones and musculature
  • Swelling and pain at the end of long bones, especially at the knee
  • Impaired immune response with increased risk of infection

 

Adults

  • Loss of bone mineral from the skeleton with increased risk of osteoporosis and fractures
  • Hearing loss and ringing in the ears
  • Muscle weakness, particularly around the hip and pelvis
  • Possible increased risk of colorectal and breast cancer
  • Possible increased risk of high blood pressure
  • Impaired immune response with increased risk of infection

Use of Vitamin D in prevention and therapy

Bone disorder

Vitamin D is effective at treating rickets in children. Together with calcium, it can slow or prevent bone loss in individuals at risk of osteoporosis and reduce the fracture rate in individuals with osteoporosis.

Psoriasis

Vitamin D due to its ability to regulate epithelial cell growth and development can reduce the hyperproliferation of skin cells in psoriasis and may reduce the severity of the disease.

Hearing disorder

In certain individuals’ vitamin D, together with calcium, can reduce symptoms of tinnitus and improve hearing loss.

Immunity

Vitamin D can stimulate white blood cells and may enhance resistance to the infection

Cancer prevention

Ample intake of vitamin D may reduce the risk of colorectal and breast cancer.

Homeopathic treatment of vitamin D deficiency symptoms

Homeopathy is one of the most popular holistic systems of medicine. The selection of remedy is based upon the theory of individualization and symptoms similarity by using holistic approach. This is the only way through which a state of complete health can be regained by removing all the sign and symptoms from which the patient is suffering. True nutritional deficiency should be treated with Vitamin supplements and dietary modification. If there is problem is assimilation, homeopathy can help. Secondary symptoms can also be helped with the right homeopathic remedy. As far as therapeutic medication is concerned, several well-proved medicines are available for vitamin D deficiency symptom’s treatment that can be selected on the basis of cause, sensation and modalities of the complaints. For individualized remedy selection and treatment, the patient should consult a qualified homeopathic doctor in person. Some important remedies are given below for vitamin D deficiency symptom’s treatment:

Calcaria Carb, Kali Carb, Calcaria Phos, Tuberculinum, Fluoric Acid, Silicea, Baryta Carb, Calcaria Flour, Kreosote, Argentum Nit, Baryta Mur and many other medicines.

About the author

Dr. Manisha Bhatia

M.D. (Hom), CICH (Greece)
Dr. (Mrs) Manisha Bhatia is a leading homeopathy doctor working in Jaipur, India. She has studied with Prof. George Vithoulkas at the International Academy of Classical Homeopathy. She is the Director of Asha Homeopathy Medical Center, Jaipur's leading clinic for homeopathy treatment and has been practicing since 2004.

She writes for Hpathy.com about homeopathic medicines and their therapeutic indications and homeopathy treatment in various diseases. She is also Associate Professor, HoD and PG Guide at S.K. Homeopathy Medical College. To consult her online, - visit Dr. Bhatia's website.

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