Nutrition Facts

Vitamin D, in strict sense is not a vitamin (as per definition of vitamin) and unique because it is derived both from dietary sources and sunlight.

1. Sunlight: Vitamin D is synthesized in the human body by the action of UV rays (ultra violet) on 7-dehydrocholesterol. The skin is store of large quantity of 7-dehydrocholesterol. Exposure to good quality of sunlight is very important as air pollution can filter large percentage of UV rays. Skin color if it is dark can be disadvantageous in this regard and black skin can filter up to 95 % of UV ray and hamper the formation of vitamin D from 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin. So theoretically blacks of Africa and America can be at disadvantageous (there is advantage of black skin that black skin people rarely get skin cancer as their skin filters 95% of the harmful UV rays which are responsible for skin cancer) position as far as production of vitamin D in skin is concerned.
2. Food Sources of Vitamin D: Vitamin D is found only in the foods of animal origin. Liver, egg yolk, butter, cheese etc. are rich source of dietary vitamin D. fish liver oil is the richest source (though not consumed as food) of vitamin D. Foods that are artificially fortified with vitamin like milk, infant foods, cooking oils, ghee etc. are also rich source of vitamin D. Recently it has been found that human milk contain water soluble form of vitamin D (vitamin D sulfate) in good quantity.

Our daily requirement of vitamin D is 2.5 mcg or 100 international units (IU). 1 mcg (microgram) of vitamin D or calciferol is equal to 40 IU or 1 IU = 0.025 mcg. Some of the dietary sources of vitamin D and the content of vitamin D in that food are shown below:

1. • Halibut liver oil = 500-10,000 mcg per 100 grams
   • Cod liver oil = 200-750 mcg per 100 grams
   • Shark liver oil = 30-100 mcg per 100 grams
   • Fish fats = 5-30 mcg per 100 grams
   • Eggs = 1.25-1.5 mcg per 100 grams
   • Butter = 0.5-1.5 mcg per 100 grams
   • Milk = 0.1 mcg per 100 grams

There are two nutritionally important forms of vitamin D in men and they are calciferol or vitamin D3 and cholecalciferol or vitamin D3. Calciferol is derived by irradiation of plant sterol, ergosterol. Cholecalciferol is naturally occurring vitamin D and is found in fish liver oil and animal fats. Cholecalciferol is also derived from exposure to sunlight or ultra violet rays of sun light which can convert 7-dehydrocholesterol in skin to vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin and is stored in fat depots.

Vitamin D: The Kidney Hormone

Vitamin D is proposed to be named as kidney hormone as it does not meet the criteria to be defined as vitamin i.e. a substance that has to be obtained by dietary means because of lack of capacity of human body to synthesize it. But vitamin D3 is not a dietary requirement in presence of adequate sunlight. Human body can synthesize adequate amount of vitamin D in the skin by exposure of as little as 5 minutes per day. No more than 5 minutes exposure to sunlight is required to synthesize enough quantity of vitamin D for one day.

Vitamin D itself is metabolically inactive unless it undergoes endogenous transformations to several active metabolites like 25, hydroxy cholecalciferol and 1, 25, dihydroxy cholecalciferol, at first in liver and than in kidney. 25, hydroxy cholecalciferol and 1, 25, dihydroxy cholecalciferol are bound to transport proteins and delivered to target tissues, bone and intestines.

Functions of Vitamin D and its Metabolites:

1. In bone: Vitamin D stimulates normal mineralization of bone. It also increases normal resorption of bone. Vitamin D improves collagen maturation.

2. In Intestine: In the intestine vitamin increase absorption of calcium and phosphorus.

3. In the Kidney: Vitamin D increase re absorption of phosphates in the kidney. The re absorption of calcium in the kidney is variable.

4. Other Functions: Among the other functions of vitamin D, other than the functions mentioned above is its role in the normal growth of human body.

Excess intake of vitamin A (more than recommended daily allowance or RDA for long time, the RDA of vitamin A for normal healthy adult is 600 mcg of retinol) for long duration can lead to vitamin A toxicity, unlike water soluble vitamins, which do not have toxicity due to removal of excess water soluble vitamins through urine as they are water soluble.

Vitamin A toxicity was first reported among Arctic explorers who ate liver of polar bear and vitamin A toxicity is also seen if it is given at very high dose of more than 150 mgs in adults and 100 mgs in children. The vitamin A toxicity is seen more commonly is Eskimos, because they eat polar bear liver and seal livers, both are very rich in vitamin A. the staple diet of Eskimo is made up of rich source of vitamin A.

Excess intake of vitamin A in the form of retinol or any other form can lead to nausea, vomiting, anorexia and sleep disturbances. These are followed by desquamation of skin, enlargement of the liver and papillar edema. Increased intracranial pressure, vertigo, diplopia, bulging fontanels in children, seizures, and exfoliative dermatitis are the common symptoms of vitamin A toxicity and in severe cases it may cause death. Other common symptoms include dry skin, cheilosis, glossitis, vomiting, alopecia, bone demineralization and pain, hypercalcemia, lymph node enlargement, hyperlipidemia, amenorrhea etc. The toxicity of vitamin A mainly occurs if excess amount of vitamin A is consumed for long time from animal sources. Excess plant vitamin A usually does not lead to severe toxicity. Excess beta carotene as found in carrots and other yellow vegetables can lead to yellow coloration of plasma and skin (called carotenemia), but this do not appear to be harmful or dangerous. But excess plant carotinoids should be avoided as it can increase chance of lung cancer in smokers. Hypothyroid patients are more susceptible to the development of carotenemia due to impaired breakdown of carotene to vitamin A. Reduction of carotenes from the diet results in the disappearance of skin yellowing and carotenemia over a period of 30–60 days in these patients.

Most recently the teratogenic (abnormality of fetus due to some compounds) effect of vitamin A is the focus of research. If excess vitamin A is given to pregnant women spontaneous abortions, craniofacial abnormalities, and valvular heart disease has been reported. So in pregnancy daily dose should not be more than 3 mgs. 13-cis-retinoic acid which is commercially available can cause birth defects and should not be given during pregnancy and pregnancy should be avoided by contraception at least for 1 year after giving 13-cis-retinoic acid.

Acai berry the superfood of the Amazon has many benefits. For hundreds of years the acai berry was cherished in the Amazon area (where acai berry grows wild in the rainforests and flood plains naturally) for its healing power and also for many more good qualities.

Some of the acai berry benefits are listed below:

· Weight loss for obese and overweight persons.

· Improvement of digestion power.

· Improved sleep (if you suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia).

· Increased energy and vitality.

· Stronger immune system.

· Improved mental clarity and thoughts and also improve concentration.

· Detoxification of toxic deposits of the body.

· Healthier and younger looking skin and youthful appearance.

· Healthier heart due to improved circulation and by reducing cholesterol content in blood.

· Increased sexual desire and performance.

From the above mentioned acai berry benefits it is clear that acai berry is one of the most effective natural food products available at present in the market. So no one should waste their valuable time and precious money using products that do not work and are not natural products. Instead of wasting time and money you should take acai berry supplements for overall improvement of your health.

One of the most important and sought after benefits of acai berry is weight loss in obese and overweight persons. Acai berry products are all natural and made from natural acai berry and there are no artificial products added to the acai berry products that may be harmful to the general health as a whole. One of the ways of acai berry in reducing body weight is by detoxifying your body of harmful toxins. Acai berry products are very rich in antioxidants and keep our body clean, healthy and free from excess pounds.

Acai berry is very reach and important source of proteins, dietary fibers, omega fatty acids (has a protective effect on the heart and cardiovascular system), many important vitamins, minerals and also important antioxidants (anthocyanins). Anthocyanins are one of the most powerful antioxidants available at present.

Treatment of Vitamin A Deficiency:

Vitamin A deficiency should be treated urgently as early as possible. Treatment should be very prompt and vigorous. Massive dose of vitamin A should be given, which usually reverses all the eye manifestations of vitamin A deficiency. The massive dose is about 200,000 international units (IU) or 110,000 micro grams (mcg) of retinol orally on two successive days. At this very high dose recovery occurs very fast and sequel of vitamin A deficiency can be avoided.

Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency:

Prevention of vitamin A deficiency is generally done in two forms. First is to improve people’s diet to ensure a regular and sufficient supply of vitamin A in the regular diet. Secondly to reduce the factors that contribute to vitamin A deficiency like protein energy malnutrition (PEM) diarrhea (reduces absorption of vitamin A), respiratory tract infections measles (increases the demand of vitamin A due to increased requirement of vitamin A in maintaining the normal epithelial lining of respiratory tract, urinary tract etc.) and infectious diseases like. Both the forms of prevention and control of vitamin A deficiency are of long term and require community participation and nutrition education of the community.

The good news is that vitamin A can be stored in the body that last up to 9 months which is liberated slowly over time and can take important role in prevention of vitamin A deficiency. The vitamin A store which can last up to 9 months helps in planning cheap and effective strategy to prevent vitamin A deficiency. In developing countries like India where vitamin A deficiency is highly prevalent has developed simple technologies (National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, India developed simple technology) for effective control of vitamin A deficiency. The technique is base on giving large dose of 110,000 micrograms of vitamin A as retinol palmitate orally to children of 1 to 6 years of age every 6 months. This strategy is giving excellent result in India and many other countries and it is also very cheap. This way it can be said that the children are “immunized” for 6 months against xerophthalmia.

The protection that is afforded by this large single dose of retinol or vitamin A is adequate as seen in the improvement of clinical signs of vitamin A deficiency in the community as a whole. In one of the longitudinal study in Hyderabad, India where the technique is developed, showed that the reduction of keratomalacia is about 80% in the area.

There are many disadvantages of obesity and more so if you are extremely obese (if your BMI is more than 40). Main disadvantages are cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, and all related diseases and a social stigma and inability to socialize normally. There are many weight loss strategies that are available for an obese person to reduce weight. But all have there advantages and disadvantages and no plan is 100% successful. Most commonly followed strategy is regular physical exercise and a strict diet plan with very low calorie but that supplies all the essential nutrients. There are other strategies like lap band surgery or laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery and also many dietary formulas with nutrients that are claimed to be very useful in reducing weight in obese and overweight people.

Lap band surgery or laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery is placement of a restrictive device by bariatric surgery meant for obese people whose BMI is more than 40 to loss weight. The restrictive gastric band is place around top portion of stomach. The restrictive band is a silicon inflatable prosthetic device. Lap band surgery is also done in case of obese people with BMI between 35 to 40 if they have certain cardiovascular and other comorbid conditions like diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, metabolic abnormalities etc.

There are many successful lap band stories throughout the world. Many users of lap band surgery claim it to be excellent procedure for weight loss and maintenance of lost weight. But it depends on the user also, how he changes his lifestyle in terms of food habits. After surgery the patient has to reduce the food intake and also take small feeds more frequently, adjusting to personal requirement and the goal of weight he sets for himself.

Now-a-days contact lenses are very popular. Contact lenses are used for various reasons by various people. Some people use them for correction of their eyesight and for more practicality. Also sometimes correction of eye sight is not perfect with glasses and in these cases contact lenses are preferred over conventional glasses or spectacles. The ophthalmological conditions that are not corrected properly with glasses are keratoconus, aniseikonia etc. In the above mentioned cases contact lenses are preferred as conventional glasses can not give you perfect vision. And also many people find the use of glasses too cumbersome when better option is available to him/her.

Contact lens can also protect your eyes from accidental injuries to some extent. In patients with nutritional deficiency (mainly vitamin A deficiency) and with eye problem are more prone to develop scar tissue in the cornea of eye if there is injury to the cornea. So patients who have eye problem due to previous nutritional deficiency should use contact lenses to prevent the accidental injury to eyes. Contact lenses are also used for cosmetic purposes and they can be tainted to any color as per requirement of the customer. So many people are using contact lenses to change the color of their eyes.

But use of contact lenses also have some disadvantages like; can cause damage to the eyes if not handled properly. The lenses should be sterile (free from germs) and maintaining of contact lens may be difficult any costly. Contact lenses are more costly and not easily available in compare to glasses. If you are using hard type of contact lens you have to preserve in preserving solution and clean them before wearing every time.

The vitamin A deficiency disorders involve mainly the eye. The vitamin A deficiency disorders include night blindness, conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, Bitot’s spots and keratomalacia. There are also extra ocular manifestations. Xerophthalmia or dry eye is the term, which comprises all the ocular manifestations of the vitamin A deficiency including night blindness to keratomalacia.

1. Night blindness: The vitamin A deficiency first causes night blindness or inability to see in dim light. This is common in poor under developed countries and seen mainly in children. The mother first detects the condition when she observes that the child can not see in dark or in the evening. This is due to impairment in dark adaptation, which requires vitamin A. Night blindness increases unless the vitamin A consumption is increased and gets worsened if the child has diarrhea or other infection.
2. Conjunctival Xerosis: This is the first clinical sign of vitamin A deficiency where the conjunctiva becomes dry and non wettable. The conjunctiva appears muddy and wrinkled instead of shiny and smooth. This is described as “emerging like sand bank at receding tide”.
3. Bitot’s spot: these are ‘triangular, pearly white or yellowish, foamy” spots on the either side of cornea. In children Bitot’s spots indicate vitamin A deficiency, but in adults it indicates the sequel of earlier deficiency in childhood. Bitot’s spots are frequently bilateral (present on both eyes).
4. Corneal Xerosis: This is the stage of serious vitamin deficiency and can lead to corneal opacity and blindness. At first the cornea appears dull and dry (non wettable) and if not treated promptly can lead to corneal opacity. If deficiency is severe there may be corneal ulceration and if the cornea heals also there may be scar and opacity which affect vision.
5. Keratomalacia: This is the most serious form of vitamin A deficiency and there is liquefaction of cornea. It is a grave medical emergency. The whole cornea or part of it may become soft and burst open, which can happen very rapidly. If the eye collapses the vision is lost permanently. In poor and under developed countries keratomalacia is one of the commonest causes of blindness.

Extra ocular manifestations of vitamin A deficiency include anorexia, growth retardation, follicular hyper keratosis etc. But they are non specific. Recent studies suggest there is significant increase in morbidity and mortality even if there is mild vitamin A deficiency.

No human is immune to the process of aging. But man has been trying this impossible task to do. Breakthrough research in medical science has found the process of aging and able to slow the process of skin aging. There are many products that can slow aging process and remove wrinkles of facial skin. One of the important sign of aging is wrinkle of skin and by removing the skin wrinkle we can slow down the aging process of skin. Skin is in constant exposure to many harmful substances and the skin requires constant nutrition and need to rejuvenate. Skin nutrition is vital to maintain and slow down the aging process of skin. The anti aging or anti wrinkle products provides necessary ingredients for rejuvenation of skin.

There are many good quality anti aging or anti wrinkle products available in the market. Lift SP, Dermitage etc. are few of the best anti aging products available in the market and these products are available online. You can order these products or get a refill of your stock online just with a click of a mouse.

Among these products almost all are available for free trial like Lift SP Free Trial for example. These products are of very good quality and the companies are giving free trial offer, because they are confident of their product’s quality. Lift SP is by far the most tried and successful product and it contain natural ingredients that has negligible or no side effects on your skin or your body. Lift SP is an oil free product which relaxes, rejuvenates and reduces wrinkles of your skin by 50%. It contains acai berry extracts which has very high antioxidant content. Acai berry is considered as one of the best natural rejuvenator by many scientists and dermatologists.

Acai berry is one of the nature’s wonders in the field of nutrition. Acai or acai berry is a South American native plant that grows naturally in the flood plains of Amazon basin and is consumed regularly as part of staple diet by the tribes of Amazon. Acai berry constitute up to 45 % of the diet of the tribes of Amazon. These tribes are much healthier than any group of people in this globe and this is because of consumption of large quantity of acai berry by these tribes. Acai plant or acai palm grows in the swamps and floodplains of Amazon and grows up to the height of about 30 meters. The acai berry is like grape (about an inch in diameter) and the color is black purple which is dependent on the maturity of the berry. It has a seed which is big compared to its size.

The acai berry is very rich in nutritional contents. Acai berry is one of the richest natural sources of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and many more essential nutrients. Antioxidants are the compounds that help our body in fighting against free radicals (free radicals are free scavenging electrons that can cause damage to the cell in the body and cause cancer and these are prevented by antioxidants, which receives the free electron and prevent damage by them) and prevent cancer.

Many nutritional products and weight loss products are produced from acai berry, making good use of their unique nutritional contents. Products that are of good quality are acai burn, ultra acai berry and many more good products are available in the market. These products like acai burn are excellent in losing weight for the obese and overweight persons. These products are also very good energy drinks. These products are produced from natural acai berry and they are very safe to use without any harmful adverse effects.