Vitamin D Research Paper

Vitamin D nutritional status and the risk for cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Vitamin D, which is considered one of the most essential vitamins for the body, has a strong relationship with cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are the illnesses that mainly affect the cardiovascular system and the circulation. The elevation of vitamin D and the deficiency can affect the cardiovascular system directly or indirectly. Vitamin D can influence the hormones in the body and cause indirect damage or benefit to the cardiovascular system. The harm is caused from insufficient amount of vitamin D in the body mainly due to the inability of converting the vitamin into its active form. The most common source of vitamin D is the skin.

Objectives

Vitamin D can be taken orally as a dietary supplement or, it can be synthesized by the skin by the exposure to the sunlight, and very few foods may contain this vitamin. It is essential for bones health, and the body some time convert this vitamin into hormone called activated vitamin D or calcitriol. Vitamin D help the body to absorb calcium and other minerals although you eat a lot of food that contains lots of calcium, you still need vitamin D to absorb this mineral. Also, vitamin D helps in immune system fighting foreign bodies, function of muscles, cardiovascular health, respiratory system health, brain development, and anticancer effects. Functions of vitamin D are mange calcium in bone, blood, and gut and helps the communications among

Thus, cardiovascular functions may be affected by the impact of the vitamin D in the body. The down regulation of PTH is an essential factor that will make vitamin D has a positive influence on heart function. However, long term vitamin D deficiency can rise the production of PTH. This over production of PTH can cause valvular calcification, cardiac arrhythmia, arterial hypertension, myocardial calcification, and left ventricle hypertrophy. Vitamin D deficiency also can increase the rate of renin-angiotensin system. It has an important function in controlling blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and intravascular volume. However, vitamin D can affect heart function through influencing cardiomyocyte cell cycle rather than hormone system. Vitamin D can affect the cardiomyocyte through its receptors then it will suppress cardiac cells proliferation and to protect the function and structure of