Food Hygiene and Nutrition - Report Example

Vitamin D: Food Hygiene and Nutrition Student’s Name Institution Abstract Undeniably, Vitamin D is important for healthy bones and it is absence can cause numerous health problems— such as cardiovascular diseases, rickets, and others— and its purpose in the body. That said, this paper sets to look into the definition, history, and science of vitamin D. The paper will further examine how vitamin D promotes health of human beings in the society. Moreover, the paper will look into the ways in which vitamin D is processed in the body, how manufacturers create vitamin D supplements, and how human beings access vitamin D. Lastly the paper will provide the relevant reconditions of the right amount of vitamin D required by people for a healthy living. Introduction: Vitamin D refers to a fat-soluble substance, which is found naturally in several foods, available as supplementary diet and added to other foods. It is also produced when then Suns ultraviolet rays hit the skin triggering the synthesis of vitamin D (Vitamin D Council | How do I get the vitamin D my body needs? n.d.). Vitamin D is important for human health such as ideal weight, strong bone and disease preventions (Norval, 2014). Nowadays, most people are suffering from diseases, which are caused because of inadequate or lack of vitamin D, and some doctors might use them in the diagnosis of conditions and diseases such as depression, weak immunity systems, and cancer. History: Who discovered Vitamin D? Vitamin D was discovered in 1914 by the American researchers Marguerite Davis and Elmer McCollum. It was discovered in cod liver oil that was called vitamin A later (Feldman, Pike & Adams, 2011). How they discovered it? Edward Mellan, British Doctor, realized that when dogs were fed with cod liver oil, they never developed rickets and he held that it was Vitamin that had the ability of preventing the diseases (Norval, 2014). Elmer McCollum tested the substance that had vitamin A destroyed. This modified oil could cure sick dogs making Mccollum to conclude that there is a factor in the cod liver that cures rickets and it is entirely different from Vitamin A (Dowd & Stafford, 2008). He named it Vitamin D. Moreover, in the 1930s, Windaus identified vitamin D chemical when he was studying the link between vitamins and sterols. In 1936, vitamin D was marked as D3, which was proved to be found in human skin. Science behind: Gut calcium assimilation and phosphate maintenance are encouraged by vitamin D. Moreover, vitamin D is significant for the development of bones, as it makes them have normal structure and strong (Norval, 2014). Therefore, vitamin D protects kids from rickets, immune function, reduction of inflammation, modulation of cell growth and others Why vitamin D promotes and encourages health The vitamin D, which is obtained from exposure to sun, supplements, and food is inert biologically and has to undergo some hydroxylations so that it can be activated in the body (Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. (n.d.). It first occurs in liver converting vitamin D to the calcidiol 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Secondly, I occur in kidney forming physiologically activity calcitriol or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], Vitamin D has been found to promote the absorption of calcium in the gut and maintaining dilute phosphate and serum calcium concentrations to enable the bone mineralization preventing hypocalcemic tetany (Dowd & Stafford, 2008). With no enough vitamin D, the bones may become brittle, thin, misshapen. The sufficiency of vitamin D prevents the occurrence of rickets in kids and osteomalacia in adults (Vitamin D Council | How do I get the vitamin D my body needs? n.d.). When it is together with calcium, vitamin D assists in protecting elderly adults from osteoporosis. Other functions of vitamin D include neuromuscular, cell growth and, reduction of inflammation, and immune function (Zaidi, 2010). Most genes encode the proteins, which regulates differentiation, apoptosis, and cell proliferation, are partly modulated by vitamin D. Most cells have receptors of vitamin D and another convert 25(OH)D to 1,25(OH)2D. Vitamin D definition: Vitamin D is simply a fat-soluble substance, which is found naturally in several foods, available as supplementary diet and added to other foods. Chemistry of Vitamin D: Molecular Formula: C27H44O Processing: How it gets processed in the body? Vitamin D3 can be industrially produced when 7-dehydrocholesterol is exposed to the UV light and purified later. 7-dehydrocholesterol can be defined as a natural substance found in fish organs, mostly the liver of in the wool grease from sheep (Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D, n.d.). Vitamin D2 can be produced in the same way with the use of ergosterol from yeast is the starting substance. How manufactures process D to create vitamin D supplement? In fortified and supplements foods, vitamin D is always available in two form: D3 (cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol) which differ in their side chain structure chemically. D3 is normally manufactured by 7-dehdrocholesterol from the lanon and cholesterol conversion (Feldman, Pike & Adams, 2011). These two forms are regarded as having the equal ability of curing rickets. How humans access vitamin D: Humans access vitamin D from animal sources, which include, among others, include fish liver oil, fatty fish species like Tuna, sardines, canned oil, mackerel, and salmon. Also, there is cooked eggs, beef liver, braised or cooked U.S. (Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 2011). Moreover, there are vegan sources called Lichen, in particular, cladina arbuscula specimens that are grown under different conditions. In plants, there is alfalfa. Selected Food Sources of Vitamin D by U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Food IUs per serving* Percent DV** Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon 1,360 340 Swordfish, cooked, 3 ounces 566 142 Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces 447 112 Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces 154 39 Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies) 137 34 Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup 115-124 29-31 Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily fortified yogurts provide more of the DV) 80 20 Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon 60 15 Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines 46 12 Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces 42 11 Egg, 1 large (vitamin D is found in yolk) 41 10 Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV) 40 10 Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce 6 2 Nutrition and health Impact: Deficiency of vitamin D-diseases and vitamin D Nutritional deficiencies are typically caused by the dietary inadequacy, impaired absorption, or the increased excretion (Zaidi, 2010). Deficiency of vitamin D may occur when there is low intake that the amount recommended, and when the exposure to sunlight is restricted making it hard for the kidneys to convert 25(OH)D to active form or inadequate of vitamin D absorption from digestive tract. The deficiencies of vitamin D are linked with lactose intolerance, allergy, milk allergy, veganism and over vegetarianism. Recommendation of vitamin: Intake reference for vitamin D is normally provided by the Dietary reference intakes that is developed by Food and Nutritional Board at National academy of sciences. The values are different by gender an age, which include: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Vitamin D Age Male Female Pregnancy Lactation 0–12 months* 400 IU (10 mcg) 400 IU (10 mcg)     1–13 years 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg)     14–18 years 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 19–50 years 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg) 51–70 years 600 IU (15 mcg) 600 IU (15 mcg)     >70 years 800 IU (20 mcg) 800 IU (20 mcg)   Toxoid of vitamin D: Vitamin D is involved in the process of immunity fine-tuning. For example, the vaccine is used in protecting against tetanus in children and adults (Norval, 2014). Vaccines have proved to be a good way of protecting against such life-threatening diseases. Vitamin D activates the innate and diminishes the adaptive immune systems. Deficiency is linked to increased viral infections including influenza and HIV (Zaidi, 2010). Reduced vitamin D levels seem to be tuberculosis risk factor, and it was used as treatment historically. However, there is no clear evidence on whether vitamin D decreases respiratory infections in kids. No clinical trial exists to find out the effect to prevent infections such as malaria and TB. Overall, vitamin D is widely marketed for its anticancer properties. Research claims that the levels of vitamin D and development of risk of some cancers including the colon cancer, it remains unclear nonetheless, whether taking vitamin D as a supplement or in the diet affects cancer risk (Dowd & Stafford, 2008). Several reviews have claimed that the research is inclusive, inconsistent as to the causality, and insufficient to explain the requirements of nutrition and as such, cannot be used to draw important conclusions. Moreover, a growing research is claiming that vitamin D can have an important role in preventing and treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes, glucose intolerance, hypertension, multiple sclerosis, among other conditions (Vitamin D, 2016). However, most of the evidence to back this comes for epidemiological studies in vitro, animal and not randomized clinical trials for patient care and public health. References Dowd, J., & Stafford, D. (2008). The vitamin D cure. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons. Feldman, D., Pike, J. W., & Adams, J. S. (2011). Vitamin D. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Norval, M. (2014). A Short Circular History of Vitamin D from its Discovery to its Effects. Res Medica, 268(2). doi:10.2218/resmedica.v268i2.1031 Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin D. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/ ... U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2011. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 24. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/nd Vitamin D Council | How do I get the vitamin D my body needs? (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2016, from https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/ Vitamin D. (2016). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 1p. 1. Zaidi, S. (2010). Power of vitamin D. Denver, Colorado: Outskirts Press. Read More