Vitamin D: Essential for Bone Health and Beyond

Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for maintaining overall health, particularly for bone health. It plays a vital role in ensuring the body functions properly, influencing various bodily systems beyond just bones.

Functions and Benefits
Bone Health
Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which is critical for developing and maintaining strong bones. Without enough vitamin D, calcium isn't adequately absorbed, leading to bone disorders such as osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children. These conditions result in soft, weak bones and muscle pain, underscoring the importance of vitamin D in skeletal health.

Immune System
Vitamin D is also a key player in immune function. It helps modulate the immune response, enhancing the body’s ability to fend off infections. Furthermore, there is emerging evidence that sufficient levels of vitamin D can lower the risk of autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, as it supports immune regulation.

Mood Regulation
Research indicates that vitamin D may influence brain function, particularly in mood regulation. Several studies suggest a link between low vitamin D levels and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, and even Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). While more research is needed, vitamin D supplementation is often considered in treatment plans for mood-related conditions.

Disease Prevention
There is growing evidence that maintaining adequate vitamin D levels may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and certain cancers. Its role in regulating cell growth and reducing inflammation is thought to contribute to these protective effects.

Sources of Vitamin D
Sunlight
One of the most effective ways to obtain vitamin D is through exposure to sunlight. When UVB rays hit the skin, the body naturally produces vitamin D. However, factors such as geographic location, season, skin pigmentation, and sunscreen use can significantly affect how much vitamin D is synthesized.

Food
Certain foods, particularly fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, are rich in vitamin D. Fortified foods, such as milk, cereals, and orange juice, also provide significant amounts, helping those who may not get sufficient sunlight.

Supplements
For individuals with limited sun exposure or dietary restrictions, vitamin D supplements can be an important alternative. These supplements help maintain adequate levels and are particularly important for those living in northern latitudes or during the winter months.

Deficiency and Health Risks
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to several health issues. In addition to bone disorders like rickets and osteomalacia, deficiency is associated with cognitive decline, dementia, and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease. It is crucial to monitor vitamin D levels, especially in older adults and those with limited sun exposure.

Recommended Daily Intake
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D varies by age. For infants up to 12 months, 400 IU is suggested, while adults aged 1-70 years are recommended to get 600 IU per day. For people over 70 years, 800 IU is advised to maintain optimal health and prevent bone loss.

Interesting Fact

The body's ability to produce vitamin D is influenced by several factors, including the time of day, season, latitude, and skin pigmentation. Darker skin contains more melanin, which reduces the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight, making supplementation or fortified foods more crucial in certain populations.
Vitamin D: Essential for Bone Health and Beyond

Tocotrienols of vitamin E

Tocopherols and tocotrienols which are collectively known as tocochromanols, belongs to the group of vitamin E compounds.

Tocotrienols occupy a special place due to their unique chemical structure and properties. They are generally located in seeds and fruits; however, there is a high variation in the relative abundance for each tocotrienols homologue.

Tocotrienols are a group of four amphipathic molecules (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) that differ in the number and position of the methyl groups in the polar head.

Delta-tocotrienols tends to be the predominant form found in seeds, followed by alpha and gamma forms, whereas gamma-tocotrienols is the predominant form in fruits.

The gamma-tocotrienols is the most prevalent form in nature and it also appears to be the form with strongest potential for dietary health benefits.

Most tocotrienols from market are derived form rice bran oil and palm oil. Presently marketed forms of tocotrienols contain mixed tocotrienols in their unesterified forms.

The major sources of tocotrienols are plant, oils, and the richest sources are palm oil, rice bran oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil.

Tocotrienols are not found in the green parts of plants but, rather in the bran and germ fraction of certain seeds and cereals. All of the natural tocotrienols are fat-soluble, water insoluble oils.
Tocotrienols of vitamin E

Food sources of vitamin K group

Vitamin K is part of a family of chemical, all fat-soluble naphthoquinones. They are including phylloquinone (K1), menaquinones (K2) and menadione (K3).

The first is vitamin K1 (phylloquinone or phytonadione), which comes from plants and makes up human dietary vitamin K. Phylloquinone is the predominant dietary form of vitamin K and is present in foods of plant origin.

These include green leafy as the major quantitative source and contribute approximately 60% of total phylloquinone.

Certain plant oils and margarine, spreads and salad dressings derived from these plant oils are also important dietary sources of phylloquinone.

The second is vitamin K2 (menaquinones), which is produced by bacteria present in the large intestine. It is found in butter, cow liver, chicken, egg yolks, fermented soybean products, and some cheese.

The fats of grass-fed animals are especially good sources of vitamin K2. For vegetarians who would shun animal fats, natto, the Japanese fermented food, is a good source of vitamin K2.

Third, there is vitamin K3 (menadione), is neither found naturally in food nor made by intestine bacteria. It is synthetic, man-made substance.
Food sources of vitamin K group

Food rich in pyridoxine

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is part of the enzyme system and act as coenzyme in the transmitting process, for the decarboxylation and racemization of amino acids, and as the essential coenzyme for glycogen phosphorylase.

It is also needed for the utilization of certain amino acids. Pyridoxine assists in the metabolism and use of glycogen that has been stored as a fuel.

Deficiency manifestations are dermatitis around the eyes, eyebrows, and angles of the mouth. They may so be a sensory neuritis and a decrease in certain white blood cells and increase in others.

Foods rich in vitamin B6 include bananas, barley, beef and beef organs, cabbage, raw carrots, yellow corn, lamb and the organs of lamb, malt ,molasses, peanuts, pork and the organs of hogs, potatoes, rice, salmon, sardine, tomatoes, tuna, wheat bran and germ, flour and yams. Milk, dairy products and eggs have less pyridoxine than fish and other meats, but they are still good sources.

Certain plant foods contain a unique form of vitamin B6 called pyridoxine glucoside.

Pyridoxine can be lost during processing of frozen foods, luncheon meats and cereal foods.
Food rich in pyridoxine

Vitamin D sources

Vitamin D is a nutrient involved in regulating serum calcium.

Since milk, human as well as cow’s, is not a good source of vitamin D, a small supplement is required for both breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.

Fish liver oil preparations are normally used as supplements for the supply of vitamins A and D.

Food sources of vitamin D come in natural and fortified forms. Fortified forms are included in milk, cereals, and some margarines.

The chief food sources of vitamin D in western doest are fortified milk and cereals, and fatty fish.
Natural sources include fish oils, salmon, sardines, herring, egg yolks and liver. Two basic substances with vitamin D activity, D2 and D3, occur only in yeast and fish liver oils.

Mushroom also contain a small amount of vitamin D. This include mushroom shiitake and maitake mushroom – when they are dried outdoors such as under the summer sun for six and eight hours.
Vitamin D sources

The roles of Vitamin D

Vitamin D can be considered either a vitamin or a hormone. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the digestive tract and deposition in the bones.

By promoting calcium absorption, vitamin D helps to form and maintain strong bones.

25(OH)D is the active form of vitamin D which its primary role is to maintain blood calcium and phosphorus levels within a normal range.

It acts in the concert with two others hormones: parathyroid hormone (PTH) from the parathyroid glands and calcitonin from the thyroid glands.

It is also important for regulating cell differentiation and growth. It may also protective against colorectal cancer.

Vitamin D is formed from a substance present in our skin, called 7-dehydrocholestrol. This substance will be converted to cholecalciferol which then enters the bloodstream and travels to the liver.

It is a fat-soluble steroid hormone precursor that contributes to the maintenance of normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the bloodstream.

The infant needs to be exposed to sunlight to permit the synthesis of vitamin D from the precursor in the skin.

Sensible sun exposure can provide an adequate amount of vitamin D which is stored in body fat during the winter, when vitamin D cannot be produced.

Since milk, human as well as cow’s, is not a good source of vitamin D, a small supplement is required for both breast-fed and bottle-fed infants.

Fish liver oil preparations are normally used as supplements for the supply of vitamins A and D.

Food sources of vitamin D come in natural and fortified forms. Fortified forms are included in milk, cereals, and some margarines.

Natural sources include fish oils, salmon, sardines, herring, egg yolks and liver.
The roles of Vitamin D

Vitamin E Sources and Functions

It was discovered in 1922 in vegetable oil given the name ‘tocopherol’. Vitamin E, of which there are four different forms, is fat soluble.

The four have the same name except with the prefixes alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-, (the first four letters of the Greek alphabet).

Only alpha-tocopherol contributes toward meeting the human vitamin E requirement and it is the most common form of vitamin E in food.

It is our body’s major fat soluble antioxidant. It protects vulnerable polyunsaturated lipids in cell membranes, in blood and elsewhere throughout the body.

The richest dietary sources of vitamin E are the vegetable oils. Safflower and olive oil contain the highest proportion of alpha-tocopherol, followed by soybean oil.

Curiously enough, these oils are also the richest sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which vitamin E protects from oxidation.

Nuts and seeds such as sunflower seeds, are among the best food sources.

In western diet, vitamins E intake derives mainly from fats and oils contained in margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressing and desserts, and increasingly also from fortified food (e.g., breakfast cereals, milk, fruit juices).

Vitamin E helps reduce oxidation of lipid membranes and the unsaturated fatty acids and prevents the breakdown of other nutrients by oxygen.

Some scientists compare the function of vitamin E on the cell membrane to a lightening and nullifying the damage that occurs of lightening strikes. This function of vitamin E is also performed and enhanced by other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, glutathione (L-cysteine), coenzyme Q and the mineral selenium.

In fact, there is a direct recycling process for vitamin E that requires the immediate presence of beta-carotene, vitamin C, flavonoids, and coenzyme Q to work.

Observational studies have suggested that high intake of antioxidant including vitamins E, may lower the risk of some chronic disease, especially heart disease.

Different forms of vitamin E, other than alpha-tocopherol, have immuno-regulatory functions,

Alpha-tocopherol is the most common form of vitamin E in plasma and tissues and the most extensively studied for its beneficial effect on immune function, probably because it is the exclusively component in most vitamin E supplements.
Vitamin E Sources and Functions

Bioflavonoids – Functions and Sources

Bioflavonoids – Functions and Sources
Although bioflavonoids are not true vitamins in the strictest sense, they are sometimes referred to as vitamin P. Bioflavonoids are essential for the absorption of vitamin C, and the two should be taken together. There are many different bioflavonoids, including citrin, eriodictyol, flavones, hesperetin, hesperidin, quercetin, quercetrin, and rutin. The human body cannot produce bioflavonoids, so they must be supplied in the diet.

Bioflavonoids are used extensively in the treatment of athletic injuries because they relieve pain, bumps and bruises. They also reduce pain located in the legs or across the back, and lessen symptoms associated with the prolonged bleeding and low serum calcium. Bioflavonoids act synergistically with vitamin C to protect and to preserve the structure of capillaries. In addition, bioflavonoids have an antibacterial effect and promote circulation, stimulate bile production, lower cholesterol levels, and treat and prevent cataracts. When taken with vitamin C, bioflavonoids also reduce the symptoms of oral herpes.

Peppers, buckwheat, blackcurrants and the white material just beneath the peel of citrus fruits contain flavonoids. Sources of bioflavonoids include apricots, blackberries, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, oranges, plums and prunes. Herbs that contain bioflavonoids include chervil, elder berries, hawthorn berry, horsetail, rose hips and shepherd’s purse.
Bioflavonoids – Functions and Sources

Ascorbic Acid

Ascorbic Acid
Ascorbic acid or vitamin C is required for the formation of intercellular substance in the body, including dentine, cartilage, and the protein network of bone. Hence, it is important in tooth formation, the healing of broken bones, and the healing of the wounds. It may be important to oxidation-reduction reactions in the body and to the production of certain hormones.

Deficiency of vitamin C cause scurvy (spongy gums, loose teeth, swollen joints, hemorrhages in various tissues, etc.) and impaired healing of wounds. Orange juice is an excellent source of vitamin C. Tomato juice, if it has been processed properly, is a fair source of this vitamin. Green pepper, cabbage, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are excellent to good sources of this vitamin C, while other vegetables such as peas, spinach, and lettuce are good to fair sources. Many fruits contain fair amounts of vitamin C.
Ascorbic Acid

Pantothenic acid

Pantothenic acid
Pantothenic acid, a vitamin required for normal growth, nerve development and normal skin is a component of enzyme systems involved in metabolism (e.g., acetylation processes). It is believes and there is evidence, that Pantothenic acid is intimately related to riboflavin in human nutrition.
Deficiencies symptoms can be successfully treated with either compound. Deficiencies of this vitamin cause degeneration of nerve tissues with resulting muscular weakness, numbness and malaise.

Scaling skin and dermatitis, diarrhea with bloody stools, and ulceration of the intestine are also deficiency symptoms. The organs of animals (liver, heart, kidneys) and eggs, whole wheat products and peanuts are excellent sources of Pantothenic acid. The muscular tissue of animals, cheese, beans, cauliflower, broccoli, mushrooms and salmons are very good sources of this vitamin.
Pantothenic acid

B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin

B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin
Niacin (nicotinic acid) is one of vitamin B. This compound is part of an enzyme system regulating reduction reactions in the body. It is also a compound that dilates blood vessels. Deficiency of niacin causes pellagra (a disease that causes diarrhea, dermatitis, nervous disorders, and sometimes death). The requirement for niacin is about ten times that for thiamin. Beef, hog and lamb livers are excellent sources of niacin. Other organs and the musculature of these animals are good to fair sources.

Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) is part of the enzyme system that remove CO2 from the acid group (COOH) of certain amino acids and transfers amine groups (NH2) from one compound to another in the body. It is also needed for the utilization of certain amino acids. Deficiency manifestations are dermatitis around the eyes, eyebrows, and angles of the mouth. They may so be a sensory neuritis and a decrease in certain white blood cells and increase in others. Bananas, barley, beef and beef organs, cabbage, raw carrots, yellow corn, lamb and the organs of lamb, malt ,molasses, peanuts, pork and the organs of hogs, potatoes, rice, salmon, sardine, tomatoes, tuna, wheat bran and germ, flour and yams are goods to excellent source of pyridoxine.

Biotin is reported to be a coenzyme in the synthesis of aspartic acid, which plays a part in a deaminase system and in other processes involving the fixation of carbon dioxide. Deficiency of this compound is unusual, but can be demonstrated by the feeding of raw egg white, which contains the substance, avidin, which ties up biotin. Deficiencies of biotin cause scaling skin, skin lesion and a deterioration of nerve fibers. Due to the production of biotin by microbiological flora of the intestine, the requirement for this compound is not known, Liver is an excellent source of biotin, and peanut, peas, beans, and whole cooked eggs are good sources.
B Vitamins – Niacin, Pyridoxine and Biotin