Vitamin D3 Deficiency Causes, Effects, and Treatment.

Vitamin D is fat-soluble. In this article “Vitamin d3 deficiency- symptoms, causes, effects, and treatment” will see how Vitamin D is responsible for the absorption of magnesium, calcium, and phosphate in our body through the intestine. Though there are many other sources that are also present for vitamin D. One of the important sources for vitamin D is sun exposure that’s why this vitamin is also called the sunshine vitamin.

Vitamin D is essential in our body as it has many functions that are required for the normal functioning of the body. One of the main functions of vitamin D is maintaining healthy bones and teeth.

There are five types of vitamin D that are present namely D1, D2, D3, D4, D5 depend upon the change in their structure. In our body, D2 and D3 are present which is absorbed in the form of vitamin D.

Eat these Vitamin D reach food.

Vitamin D is present in almost all the food we eat.

These foods contain less amount of vitamin D in it.

Milk products
Soy beverages, fortified with vitamin D
Skimmed milk / Powder
Goat’s milk, fortified with Vitamin D
Yogurt, fortified with vitamin D
Meat and its alternatives
Egg yolk, cooked
Pork, various cuts, cooked
Deli meat ( pork, beef, salami, and bologna)
Beef liver, cooked
Fish and seafood
Salmon, sockeye/red, canned, cooked or raw
Humpback/pink, canned, cooked or raw
Coho, raw or cooked
Tuna, albacore, raw or cooked
Mackerel, Atlantic, cooked
Tuna, white, canned with water
Cod liver oil
Rice, oat, almond beverage, fortified with Vitamin D

Vitamin D Synthesis and Absorption in Body.

Synthesis of vitamin D depends upon how much exposure to sunlight and individual does. Next, it depends on the activation in the liver as well as in the kidney. In this article “Vitamin d3 deficiency- symptoms, causes, effects, and treatment” will see the three-step process happened in the body related to vitamin D3

Photochemistry of Vitamin D:-

In this process, 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted into vitamin D3. This occurs in two ways. Firstly, when exposure to the sunlight (UV) this 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted into vitamin D3 through electrocyclic reactions.

Secondly, this pre-vitamin D3 gets isomerizes into vitamin D3 in an organic solvent which takes almost 12 days to complete this process. It is to be noted that under UV radiations this conversion process is much faster, almost 10 times faster than organic solvent.

Synthesis of Vitamin D in the skin:-

7-dehydrocholesterol is produced in our body in a larger amount. It reacts with the UV radiations to form vitamin D3. But for the formation of vitamin D3 in the skin, it should be kept in mind that UV rays wavelength should be in between 270-300 nm, in which the peak synthesis of vitamin D take between 295 and 297 nm.

Insufficient sunlight through glass and windows may prevent the formation. 5 to 30 minutes of exposure to the sun twice a week is much sufficient with moderate exposure to the face, arms, and legs.

Overdosing of vitamin D through sunlight is quite not possible. Sunscreens block the exposure of skin to UV radiations which prevents the formation of vitamin D from sun rays.

Absorption of Vitamin D in the body:-

The first metabolism of vitamin D takes place in the liver where it is being carried by the blood and converted into prohormone calcifediol. This calcifediol, when reached to the kidney gets converted into the active form of vitamin D that is calcitriol. This active form is then released in the body and transported in the whole body.

Vitamin D Required Amount in the Body

The amount required for Vitamin D is measured in two units- in micrograms (mcg) and International Units (IU). The required amount of vitamin D for the whole life updated by U.S Institute of medicine is as under:-

Infants (0-12 months) – 400 IU (10 mcg).
Children (1-18 years) – 600 IU (15 mcg).
Adults (up to 70 years) – 600 IU (15 mcg).
Old people (over 70 years) – 800 IU (20 mcg).
Pregnant or lactating women – 600 IU (15 mcg)