Essay on Vitamin D supplements

Vitamins are vital to the human body in order to function optimally. They are can be viewed as low molecular weight organic compounds, which have a very simple structure. However, they are very essential for the normal functioning of the whole body. One of these important vitamins is known as Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is a group of biologically active substances (including ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)). It is primary “required for optimal bone health and essential for overall health” (Fleet 1).

Vitamin D is synthesized in the organism through extensive exposure to sunlight. Therefore, the lack of the sun is the main cause of hypovitaminosis. Insufficient intake of Vitamin D supplements can also cause a deficiency. In addition, it is necessary to know that a lack of Vitamin D can be caused by the disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Now let us focus our attention on the major pros and cons of taking Vitamin D supplements.

The pros of Vitamin D supplements are as follows:

“In the USA vitamin D-fortified milk is a principal source”¦” that helps to “prevent bone demineralization” (World Health Organization 60). It is involved in the regulation of cell proliferation of organs and tissues in the body, regulates the metabolic processes in the human organism, stimulates the synthesis of a number of hormones, and plays an important role in maintaining the activity of the cardiovascular system, liver, pancreas and gastrointestinal tract.

Vitamin D metabolites regulate the transport of calcium in the body, providing a major impact on the formation and maintenance of bone tissue. Vitamin D also regulates the uptake of phosphorus, the level of calcium and phosphorus in the blood and their entrance to the bone tissue and teeth. Vitamin D along with calcium or phosphorus supplements protects against cold and flu viruses, diabetes, eye and skin diseases. It also helps to prevent dental caries and gum pathologies, combat with osteoporosis and speed up fracture healing. It is essential for thyroid function and normal blood clotting.

Additionally, it is possible to add that Vitamin D blocks uncontrolled cell proliferation in the body, which makes it effective in the prevention and treatment of cancer, strengthens the immune system and suppresses the autoimmune processes that affect life expectancy of the AIDS patients.

Here are the major cons of taking Vitamin D supplements:

The human body has the ability to store this vitamin. Vitamin D is very toxic in high doses (more than 50 mg per day) and may lead to the negative consequences, such as fever, pain in the joints, weakness, cardiac abnormalities and kidney stones. If you take large doses of vitamin D over a long period of time, you will have a high risk of bone demineralization (leaching of calcium from the bones), and as a result ”“ frequent fractures.

Hence, the symptoms of vitamin D overdose include as follows:

  • weakness;
  • lack of appetite;
  • nausea;
  • constipation;
  • diarrhea;
  • sharp pains in the joints;
  • headaches and muscle pain;
  • fever;
  • increase in blood pressure;
  • convulsions;
  • slow pulse;
  • shortness of breath;
  • osteoporosis;
  • deossification.

Thus, taking the above-mentioned information into consideration, it is possible to draw a conclusion that the main role of vitamin D is to improve the absorption of calcium, but its main disadvantage is that it can have a negative effect on the bone tissue and often leads to various disease, including rickets and osteoporosis. There is no doubt that Vitamin D is truly essential for the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus. However, it is important to remember that it can be stored by the body and, at high doses, it is very toxic. Taking Vitamin D supplements in high doses can negatively affect human health. Its accumulation may lead to the development of various malignant tumors in the human body.  Therefore, it is very important to know whether Vitamin D is good or bad for the human organism.



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