Posts Tagged ‘Vitamin D’

What are the health benefits of Vitamin D and how do you get Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. In humans, vitamin D is unique because it functions as a prohormone. Also, the body can synthesize it (as vitamin D3) when sun exposure is adequate. It is also known as the “sunshine vitamin”.

Health benefits of Vitamin D
1. Maintains Your Calcium Balance.
- Narrow range is vital for normal functioning of the nervous system.
- Vitamin D is required for bone growth, and maintenance of bone density.
- Vitamin D is essential for absorption of calcium by the body.
2. Aids Your Cell Differentiation
- Differentiation of cells leads to a decrease in proliferation.
- Cellular proliferation is essential for growth and wound healing.
- Uncontrolled proliferation of cells causes diseases like cancer.
- Proliferation inhibition and stimulation of the differentiation of cells is done by Vitamin D.
3. Boosts Your Immunity
- Active vitamin D is a potent immune system booster.
4. Has a Role in Insulin Secretion
- Insufficient vitamin D levels may have an adverse effect on insulin secretion.
- It also effects glucose tolerance in type 2 diabetes.
5. Blood Pressure Regulation
- Adequate vitamin D levels is important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.

Vitamin D and Diseases
- Osteoporosis
- Cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Autoimmune Diseases
- Diabetes
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Rheumatoid Arthritis

Vitamin D overdose
- Hypercalcemia
- Bone loss
- Kidney stones
- Calcification of organs like the heart and kidneys
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
- Sarcoidosis
- Tuberculosis
- Lymphoma

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for Vitamin D
- Infants 0-12 months- 1000 IU
- Children 1-18 years- 2000 IU
- Adults 19 years and older- 2000 IU

Vitamin D Deficiency
- Rickets
- Osteomalacia
- Peripheral vascular disease
- Certain cancers
- Multiple sclerosis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Juvenile diabetes
- Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease

How do you get Vitamin D?
- Sunshine (natural)
- Foods are artificially fortified with vitamin D
- Vitamin Supplements

Dietary sources of vitamin D
- Fatty fish species, such as:
- Catfish, 85 g (3 oz) provides 425 IU (5 IU/g)
- Salmon, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz) provides 360 IU (3.6 IU/g)
- Mackerel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 345 IU (3.45 IU/g)
- Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 50 g (1.75 oz), 250 IU (5 IU/g)
- Tuna, canned in oil, 100 g (3.5 oz), 235 IU (2.35 IU/g)
- Eel, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), 200 IU (2.00 IU/g)
- A whole egg provides 20 IU if egg weighs 60 g (0.33 IU/g)
- Beef liver, cooked, 100 g (3.5 oz), provides 15 IU (0.15 IU/g)
- Fish liver oils, such as cod liver oil, 1 Tbs. (15 ml) provides 1360 IU (90.6 IU/ml)
- UV-irradiated mushrooms and yeast are the only known vegan significant sources of vitamin D
- Exposure of portabella mushrooms to UV provides an increase of vitamin D

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Some facts about vegetarianism, its types, advantages and disadvantages of vegetarian diet.

Vegetarianism facts include the types of vegetarianism and vegetarianism pros and cons in regards to its health benefits.

TYPES OF VEGETARIANS

- Vegans only eat food that comes from a plant.
- Lacto Vegetarians do not eat meat or eggs but they do eat dairy products.
- Ovo Vegetarians do not eat meat or dairy products but they do eat eggs.
- Lacto-ovo Vegetarians do not eat meat but they do eat eggs and dairy products.
- Pesco Vegetarians eat fish, eggs, and dairy products. They do not eat red or poultry.
- Fruitarians eat only fruits, nuts and seeds. They do not eat meat, eggs, dairy products, or the roots of any plants such as carrots.
- Pollo-Vegetarians eat poultry, such as chicken, turkey, and duck.

ADVANTAGES OF A VEGETARIAN DIET

- Vegetarian diets are low in calories. Not all vegetarian diets are low in calories.
- Vegetarian diets are high in fiber.
- Research has shown that a low-fat vegetarian diet helps to stop progression of coronary artery disease or prevent it altogether.
- Health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, gallstones, kidney stones are much less common in vegetarians.
- A vegetarian diet relies on beans and lentils for its source of proteins.
- Soy products, such as tofu and tempeh, are used to provide isoflavins, such as genistein and daidzein, which help to diminish bone loss, inhibit tumor growth and lower cholesterol.
- Vegetarians develop strong immunity in them.
- Green leafy vegetables have ample supply of calcium.

ADVANTAGES OF NON-VEGETARIAN DIET WHICH IS NOT FOUND IN VEGETARIAN DIET

- Vegetarians face inadequate intake of proteins and B12.
- B12 on the other hand cannot be sourced from plants, only from animals, hence a vegetarian needs to eat foods that have been fortified with B12 vitamins, this is especially recommended for vegetarian children.
- The essential amino acids that the body requires are contained in a diet rich with red meat.
- Red meat contains very high quantities of iron as compared to vegetarian diet.
- The phosphorus content of meat is much more easily absorbed than the phosphorus in cereals and legumes.
- Vitamin D is not found in a plant based diet.

Preventing pelvis or hip joint from brittleness…

Osteoporosis occurs when disintegration of bone cells takes place more quickly than the formation of new ones. This bone loss does not lead to any symptoms for a long time, and is only noticed when some kind of fracture happens. The pelvic girdle forms a stable base where the upper and lower body meet and the most powerful muscle groups and the strongest bones are located.

- Bone substance is built and destroyed during lifetime. Two-third of our bones are composed of mineral salts, calcium being most important. It is integrated in the bone tissue with the help of Vitamin D which is obtained through sunlight and some foods. Bone mass constantly increases until the age of 35. Later, it reduces by about 1.5 percent per year. Bone substance is disintegrated when parathyroid hormone prompts the osteoclasts to remove calcium from bones and release it in blood. Oestrogen in women and testosterone in men play an important role in the metabolism of bones.
- Hormone deficiencies, diet, hyperthyroidism, lack of exercise, and taking medication containing cortisone over a long period of time can harm the bones.
- Bone densitometry is done to diagnose osteoporosis. The radiologist determines the mineral content in the thigh bone or lumbar spine in grams per cubic centimeter. The treatment is primarily with calcium and vitamin D tablets and the administration of calcitonin and sodium fluoride. Earlier, hormone replacement therapy for oestrogen was recommended for women during menopause but recently this method was not in practice as it increases the risk of breast cancer.
- Strategies for preventing osteoporosis include plenty of sunshine and fresh air to boost body’s vitamin D and avoiding alcohol, nicotine and caffeine to prevent calcium depletion.
- A balanced diet rich in calcium and muscle training are recommended.