Most people try their best to eat healthily, yet many do not consume all the necessary vitamins and minerals through food – essential nutrients as the body cannot produce them on its own.

Vitamin D deficiency in children can result in rickets and osteomalacia in adults. Adequate Vitamin D intake may also help lower blood pressure, improve mental health and increase cancer survival rates.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is one of the four fat-soluble vitamins, and like its counterparts is essential to health but only in small doses. But unlike its peers, this nutrient differs in that it can be produced by your own body rather than found only as precursor forms in food products; liver and kidney functions must convert it to active form before becoming available to our bodies to use for bone health and immune system functioning – giving this vitamin the power to make powerful improvements!

Your body produces vitamin D when exposed to sunlight, with UVB rays converting 7-dehydrocholesterol found naturally in skin into vitamin D3. After that, liver and kidney cells convert this chemical to its active form: 1,25(OH)2D (1,25(OH)2D). Dietary sources of vitamin D include fish, egg yolks, milk cheese as well as fortified foods or supplements containing it.

Vitamin D deficiency affects many children and adults of various ethnicities. The primary reasons are sun exposure, skin color and age – those with darker skin cannot synthesize enough vitamin D from sunlight while as we get older our ability to absorb more of it decreases; also older people spend more time indoors than outdoors and utilize fewer food sources rich in vitamin D.

Low vitamin D levels have been linked with both childhood rickets and osteomalacia in adults; both diseases weaken bones, cause pain, and lead to bone deformities. Studies have also demonstrated that higher 25(OH)D levels correlate with reduced cancer mortality rates.

Vitamin D also plays an essential role in modulating the immune system by acting as a receptor that influences various immune cells like T and B lymphocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and dendritic cells.

The National Institutes of Health recommend that adults under 70 should consume 800 International Units (25 micrograms) of vitamin D daily from food and supplements, yet few people seem to adhere to this recommendation. An analysis of NHANES 2015-2016 data indicates that only around 20% of people in this age group consume enough dietary vitamin D to keep serum 25(OH)D concentrations near FNB thresholds.

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral essential to human bone structure. Additionally, calcium contributes to muscle function, blood vessel dilation/contraction, nerve transmission and hormone secretion. Calcium cannot be synthesized or absorbed naturally in the body and must therefore come from food sources – including dairy products (like milk and cheese), leafy vegetables fruits nuts beans and fortified grains.

Calcium may help lower your risk of high blood pressure, according to a recent study published in “Journal of the American Medical Association.” Researchers observed 36,282 postmenopausal women for seven years who either received 500 mg elemental calcium and 200 IU vitamin D daily or received placebo pills; those receiving calcium/vitamin D supplementation saw reduced incidences of hypertension than those on placebo pills.

Vitamin D is widely recognized for its bone-building powers, but it also plays other important roles. Its primary function is promoting calcium absorption in your gut by binding to specific receptors in your intestines or other organs like your heart, blood vessels and muscles.

Vitamin D relies on receptors to perform its other functions, including regulating calcium levels in your blood and stimulating cell growth. Low levels of both calcium and vitamin D have been linked with cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis – so low doses could have serious repercussions for health.

As more essential nutrients become essential, eating a well-rounded diet with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains becomes even more crucial to ensure optimal health and weight management. Furthermore, excessive consumption of saturated or trans fats, added sugars or sodium puts one at greater risk for obesity, chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases or high cholesterol.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K is an essential fatty-soluble nutrient for blood clotting, wound healing and bone health. Produced naturally by our bodies as well as available through food sources like leafy green vegetables and vegetable oils, vitamin K deficiency can lead to increased bleeding and fractures; fortunately this condition is relatively uncommon – eating healthily should provide enough vitamin K in its natural state as should taking supplements only when advised by a medical provider.

Phylloquinone (vitamin K1) is the primary source of vitamin K, found naturally in green leafy vegetables and some fortified products as well as produced by bacteria in the large intestine. Menaquinones with 1-13 repeats of 5-carbon units produced by our bodies when we consume phylloquinone are designated MK-2 to MK-13 (1-13).

Phylloquinone and short-chain menaquinones are absorbed through the small intestine. Like other fat-soluble vitamins, they are broken down by liver enzymes into carbon dioxide and water for excretion in feces as carbon dioxide gas; unlike some vitamins that build up to toxic levels.

Studies conducted through observation have linked low phylloquinone intakes with age-related bone loss and osteoporosis. One longitudinal study found that women consuming less than the US Recommended Dietary Allowance of 109 micrograms/day experienced about 30% greater risks of hip fracture when compared with those who took in at least this amount (49).

Clinical trials have demonstrated that vitamin K may reduce coronary artery calcification by decreasing calcium deposition in the arteries. More research must be conducted to ascertain whether supplementing with either phylloquinone or menaquinone will actually lower risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) or other chronic illnesses.

Vitamin D and calcium supplements have only one proven use: to prevent rickets in children. According to the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), adults should take 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day along with 400 IU of calcium supplementation daily.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin found in certain foods and supplements, and essential for vision, immune health and reproductive processes – such as the development of sperm and eggs, and fetal growth. Furthermore, Vitamin A also plays an integral part in producing B and T lymphocytes which work to protect our bodies against disease.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that most of our vitamins and minerals come from whole food sources; however, supplements may be beneficial in certain populations or stages. Furthermore, researchers continue to explore whether certain nutrients promote or protect against specific diseases.

Vitamin D and calcium intake is vital to bone health; failing to do so could result in osteoporosis or weaker bones.

Sunlight is the best source of Vitamin D. When exposed to sunlight, our skin makes vitamin D that is then absorbed by our bodies and converted to 1,25(OH)2D – helping regulate calcium absorption and promote bone health.

NHANES 2011-2014 data reveal that many people do not meet their daily vitamin D requirements, yet 18% were at risk of deficiency with highest rates among Blacks and Hispanics. The median vitamin D intake among adults 51-71) from food and fortified products was 308 IU per day in this group of adults aged 51-71, but 18% at risk were deficient or below; those at highest risk include Blacks and Hispanics.

Though research remains underway, preliminary observational studies indicate that higher concentrations of 25(OH)D may be linked to reduced cancer incidence and mortality rates; this will require further confirmation through additional research studies.

Before taking any dietary supplements, people should speak with their physician first. People living with celiac disease or gastrointestinal tract disorders must be particularly wary about taking too much Vitamin D; too much could impede digestion and absorption systems and be dangerously high cholesterol-boosting. Also be wary that certain supplements have been linked with adverse side effects like liver damage and high cholesterol.