Multi Country research: lack of vitamin or cause of chronic diseases

The sun on your face in winter is really pleasant, and it can also bring health benefits UVB can help us synthesize vitamin D Studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is an inducement to many chronic diseases Before we learn how vitamin D deficiency can change our predisposition to multiple diseases, let's take a look at how vitamin D is synthesized It starts with a precursor molecule called 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is found in the skin 7-dehydrocholesterol reacts with the ultraviolet band between 270 and 300 nm to produce vitamin D3 We don't need to spend too much time synthesizing vitamin D according to the UV index and skin color, it's enough to sun the skin, arms and legs twice a week for 5 to 30 minutes Clothes and sunscreen can prevent UVB, so this factor needs to be considered, as well as the individual's vulnerability to sunburn If you live near the poles of a long winter without seeing the sun for months, or just spend too much time indoors every day, fortified dairy products or vitamin supplements can help Vitamin D is necessary for growth and development, so vitamin D deficiency is harmful to health In order to absorb calcium to make bones strong, people need vitamin D, which can lead to rickets Over the past few decades, studies of vitamin D deficiency have found other potential long-term effects Here are some examples Multiple sclerosis For more than 40 years, researchers have believed that vitamin deficiency can lead to multiple sclerosis [1], and high doses of vitamin D can prevent or control the symptoms Vitamin D is needed for both the immune system and the nervous system Importantly, it helps to form a protective sheath (myelin sheath) that protects nerves When multiple sclerosis occurs, the immune system attacks its own nervous system Communication errors between nerve cells and other tissues lead to loss of muscle function, vision, memory, etc Recently, more evidence has emerged that vitamin D affects multiple sclerosis Moving people at risk to sunny areas can reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis A study of 22162 multiple sclerosis patients from 22 countries found that living near the poles led to multiple sclerosis symptoms two years earlier A 2016 study of the Finnish population investigated vitamin D levels in early pregnancy [3] They found that a lack of vitamin D during pregnancy doubles the risk of multiple sclerosis Robyn Lucas, an epidemiologist at the Australian National University, said there was consistent evidence that low blood vitamin D levels were associated with an increased risk of multiple sclerosis, and there was no evidence that vitamin D supplementation could improve the symptoms "Vitamin D is not the only chemical produced in the sun, and some other chemicals are also important to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis," she said Studies are now underway to test the effects of vitamin D supplementation and non vitamin D components associated with sunlight on people at high risk of multiple sclerosis Mental disorder Vitamin D helps the brain develop, creates connections, and ensures that brain cells do their job Errors in brain development can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders John McGrath, Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Queensland, Australia, said that the importance of vitamin D in brain development suggests that vitamin D may play a role in the formation of schizophrenia, and more and more observational studies support this theory [4] Many studies have shown that people born in winter and spring and living in high latitudes are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia A 2010 study found that vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women increases the risk of schizophrenia in children Another study of Finnish children published in 2004 showed that vitamin D supplementation early in life can reduce the risk of schizophrenia in men asthma Asthma is one of the most common childhood diseases, which has become more and more common in the past half century Theoretically, the anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin D can make the trachea develop healthily and reduce the risk of asthma A 2016 study [9] recorded vitamin concentrations in newborns and tracked them to the age of 10 Early vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of long-term asthma, the study found What's going on? The authors suggest that vitamin D may reduce the risk of allergies or bacterial infections in children's respiratory tract For asthma, vitamin D not only plays a preventive role, but also plays a therapeutic role A September 2016 study collated data on asthma and vitamin D [10] to determine whether vitamin D can control asthma symptoms They found that asthmatics taking vitamin D needed less anti-inflammatory drugs for severe asthma attacks Autism spectrum disorders Autism spectrum disorder is a lifelong developmental disease that affects the ability to communicate with others and the outside world About 1% of people are affected by this For autism spectrum disorders with mild symptoms, patients can live a normal life In serious cases, patients' learning disabilities lead them to need the continuous help of experts to maintain their lives Although the disease is highly genetic, there are other risk factors associated with autism spectrum disorders In a paper published by McGrath [11], children born to mothers who began to lack vitamin D at 20 weeks were at a higher risk of developing autism spectrum disorders before the age of six In addition, studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of breast cancer, type II diabetes and heart disease So before you go out the door the next time, think about how ultraviolet light is helping you turn 7-dehydrocholesterol into vitamin D, and the health benefits of this molecule.