Vitamin D And The Bone Disease

I. General Information:

1. The history of the nutrient:

Since ancient times vitamin D has been the predominant cause of bone deficiencies.1 However, it was not in till the seventeenth century when both Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson made the first scientific description of a vitamin D deficiency.2 During the mid-seventeenth century there was an increase amount of children that were diagnosed with the bone disease called rickets.2 The cause of the rickets was determined to be associated to the lack of sunlight. A German researcher Kurt Huldschinsky came to the conclusion that when infants were exposed to ultraviolet light rays they became cured of rickets2. He stated that a substance in the skin was the potential source of the cure.2 In 1922, American scientist Elmer McCollum proved that when cod liver oil was heated; the beneficial effects of vitamin A in the oil were reduced.2 However, the oil remained effective in curing rickets leading McCollum to reason that a nutrient different from vitamin A was present in the oil. As a result, he named this nutrient vitamin D, which became the fourth vitamin to be discovered and named.2 Additionally, shortly after 1918, vitamin D was also discovered by an accidental experiment that included a group of scientists curing dogs affected with rickets by feeding cod liver oil to them.1

2. The chemical characteristics and qualities of the nutrient

• Vitamin D2 (cholecalciferol) originates from the yeast and plant sterol, ergosterol.3

• Vitamin D3 (ergocalciferol) originates from 7-dehydrocholesterol, a precursor of cholesterol when synthesized in the skin.3

• Vitamin D is derived from a steroid; the structure retains its numbering from the parent compound cholesterol.3

• Name o...

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...a casein-free diet was 19.9ng⁄mL, for participants not on a casein-free diet it was 19.6ng⁄mL, and for controls it was 17ng⁄mL. There were no differences in the measurements of 25 (OH) D in all groups. About sixty-one percent, fifty-four children, had concentrations of less than 20ng⁄mL. This is the minimum concentration recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics to ensure good bone health. These children could be at risk for problems associated with vitamin D deficiency. This includes concerns with bone health and calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Children with autism spectrum disorder are limited to what activities they can do and usually are not exposed to much sunlight causing them to be at a greater risk. Understanding the needs and taking preventive measures for children with autism will help reduce the risk of health problems as they enter adulthood.