Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which plays an important role in regulating the minerals like calcium and phosphorus in the body. It is also called as sunlight vitamin because the body produces it when sunlight hits the skin. It is the only vitamin the body manufactures naturally. So, technically it is considered as a hormone. It is important for the proper absorption of calcium from food. Also, it controls of the levels of calcium in the blood and controls the rate at which the body excretes calcium in the urine.
Sources of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is derived from both sunlight and foods. It is produced in the body by the action of UV rays of sunlight on 7-dehydroxycholesterol. Then it is stored in the skin in large amount. Also, an animal originated food contains vitamin D. Liver, egg yolk, milk, butter and cheese and some species of fish contain useful amounts of vitamin D. The richest source of vitamin D is fish liver oil.
Deficiency of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D deficiency is responsible for following defects in the body.
- Rickets in children: In this disease the bones to become soft due to which they become to prone to fractures
- Osteoporosis in adults: Bones become weak and tend to get fractured easily because of the reduction of the bone mineral density
- Osteomalacia: the weakening of muscles along with softening of the bones, very common problem in women after they reach menopause, men may also suffer from osteoporosis due to old age
Other signs of low vitamin D levels include insomnia, weight loss, pain in the bones and muscles and weakening of the immune system. The deficiency of vitamin D is characterized by inadequate mineralization or demineralization of the skeleton. Vitamin D deficiency occurs in the people who do not drink milk and who do not receive much sunlight, those who live in regions where they receive little natural light and alcoholics.
Vitamin D overdose, toxicity, side effects:
Overdoses can occur with most vitamins but generally are not harmful. But, vitamin D is a hormone so there are penalty that come with high intake levels. Overdose of vitamin D increases the intestinal absorption of it. So, the blood level of calcium will also increase. Calcification of the soft tissues in the body like the heart, lungs, blood vessels and renal tubules will leads to. overconsumption of vitamin D for Long time at any dose greater than 1,000 IU day may cause high blood pressure and premature hardening of the arteries.
Symptoms of overdose of vitamin D:
- Mental retardation
- Excessive thirst
- Metal taste
- Poor appetite
- Weight loss
- Bone pain
- Tiredness
- Sore eyes
- Itching skin
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Kidney stones
- Weakness of muscles
- Muscle cramps
- Severe headache
- Nervousness
Elevated level of Vitamin D may have a negative effect on the functioning of the urinary system. This will be manifested in the form of polyuria, nocturia, polydipsia and renal failure.
Treatment of overdose:
The treatment of vitamin D overdose includes limiting its ingestion for a specified period of time. Yet, it may take some time for some of symptoms to stop because excess vitamin D is stored in fat cells and the side effects may not start to disappear until those reserves are worn out.
Check out this : Vitamin Deficiency Signs and Symptoms
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