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Vitamin D3 is produced in the skin with the effect of ultraviolet radiation (UVB 290-315nm). Its production in the skin accounts for approximately 80% of the total daily production, while the remaining 20% comes from food.
• Sun exposure
• Use of sunscreens (sunscreen with a protection factor > 8 limits up to 90% the synthesis of vitamin D)
• Clothing (covered extremities of the body)
• Amount of melanin (black race presents lower levels of vitamin D)
• Time of year (significant decrease in winter months)
• Geographical latitude (the increase of geographical latitude, i.e. from the equator to the poles, limits the ability to synthesize vitamin D)
• Age (the elderly have reduced production capacity)
• Obesity (vitamin D is absorbed by fatty tissue)
• Air pollution (mainly observed in urban centers with reduced ultraviolet radiation)
What causes Vitamin D deficiency?
Reduced intake of vitamin D leads to reduced absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the intestine, resulting in decreased levels in the body. In children it leads to rickets, while in adults it leads to muscle weakness, increased phosphorus excretion, tetany, osteomalacia and osteoporosis. In pregnant women and newborns it leads to injuries of the maternal pelvis during childbirth, deformities of the fetus, as well as tooth weakness of the fetus.
Rickets is the disease of bones that leads to poor development with weak bones, delayed growth and immunodeficiency.
Osteomalacia is the disease of adults due to long-term lack of vitamin D. It is characterized by an increase in bone volume and a decrease in bone mineralization. Osteomalacia leads to significant bone loss in the cortical tissue with an increased risk of falls and fractures. Clinical symptoms are muscle weakness, difficulty walking and osteopenia.
About 6% of men and over 20% of women over 50 suffer from osteoporosis, while 1 in 5 men and 1 in 3 women will suffer an osteoporotic fracture after the age of 50. Also, 75% of women with osteoporosis do not know it.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead newborns and young children to be at risk for the rest of their lives of developing Rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Multiple Sclerosis & Bowel Inflammation, due to the poor functioning of the immune system.
Also, people with low levels of vitamin D may develop cancer of the pancreas, skin, endometrium, breast, prostate, rectum, and intestine, or even lymphoma. In addition, low levels of vitamin D have been linked to risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, myocardial infarction, cerebral congestion, heart failure, and diabetes mellitus.
Other actions of Vitamin D:
• Regulates the normal function of the immune system
• Regulates blood pressure (reduction of renin)
• Contributes to the improvement of muscle function
• Affects the function of the CNS – positive action in patients with multiple sclerosis
• Acts in intermediary metabolism – increase in insulin secretion
