Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D can be synthesized in the human body and animals in the form of vitamin D2. the rate of synthesis of vitamin D in the skin depends on the amount of sunlight received and the concentration of pigment in the skin. So the body is not deficient in vitamin D, it is advisable to always take advantage of sunlight for health, especially in the morning.
4 kinds of vitamin D are known, namely vitamin D2, D3, D6, and D4. Vitamin D1 no. Vitamin D2 contained in plants and called calciferol, while vitamin D3 tekenal contained in the animal body with the name of the ergosterol SINR when exposed to the sun (ultraviolet rays) will be transformed into vitamin D active. Vitamin D is not so important in tropical countries as a result of disease rather jrang found this vitamamin deficiency, except in some particular place.
a) Functions of Vitamin D for the Body
To vitamin D in the body.
– Adjust the salt metabolism.
– Scaling up the absorption of phosphorus grams of lime and salt.
– Adjust the salt formation of phosphorus in the body that is used for hardening the bone.
Vitamin D deficiency results in rickets disease. In this disease the bones remain soft, so easy to change bebtuknya. Excess vitamin D causes toxicity.
The need for vitamin D, especially for residents of tropical countries can not be ascertained because the body can not make vitamin D lnsung own.
Vitamins are then activated by sunlight and transported to various organs to be used or stored in the liver. Because the consumption of vitamin D is not so important in meeting the needs of vitamin D as a whole.
b) Lack of Vitamin D
The role of vitamin D is very important for the metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. With vitamin D, calcium absorption by the digestive tract will be repaired, calcium and phosphorus from bone mobilized. Spending calcium and phosphorus from bone mobilization, expenditure and balance of minerals in the blood involved controlled. Vitamin D is absorbed from the diet together fat and get into the bloodstream through the walls of the jejunum and ileum of the small intestine and transported to the chylomicron via the lymphatic circulation.
Vitamin D deficiency will result in impaired absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the gastrointestinal tract and impaired mineralization of bone and tooth structure.
Three types of circumstances can be experienced by people with a lack of vitamin D, is:
(1) Ricetsia
Suffered by children that is characterized by bending the foot so that the form of O.
(2) tetani
A marked symptoms bending wrists and joints due to low serum calcium due to lack of vitamin D or parathyroid kelenjer damage.
(3) Osteomalacia
Suffered by adults, also known as adult rickets, caused by a deficiency of vitamin D. One IU of vitamin D is equal to 0.0025 mcg of pure crystalline vitamin D. International Units (IU)