Vitamin D is a group of biologically active substances that enter the body with food (D-2) or are produced by exposure to sunlight (D-3).
The main role of the vitamin is to enhance the absorption of trace elements in the intestine: calcium to a greater extent, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc to a lesser extent.
In other words, without the help of vitamin D, calcium from food will simply be removed from the body. 25-OH vitamin D is the substance that is formed from all forms of vitamin D (D2,3, etc.), so the determination of this metabolite is the most accurate representation of the total amount of vitamin D in the body.
To understand the importance of vitamin D, it is worth mentioning the functions that calcium performs:
- Neuromuscular impulse transmission;
- Blood clotting processes (important for stopping bleeding);
- Heart muscle function;
- Production and activation of a huge number of enzymes involved in almost all biologically significant processes of the whole organism;
- Formation of strong bony tissue.
Vitamin D is especially important in early childhood, as it is during this period that bone structures are formed.
If the child does not receive an adequate amount of vitamin, rachitis develops.