THE ROLE OF VITAMIN D IN HUMAN HEALTH: NARRATIVE REVIEW

Vitamin D plays a vital development on the physiology of human beings, which is involved in various biological mechanisms. The most prominent of its roles is the control of skeletal health whereby it helps absorb calcium and phosphate thus guaranteeing proper bone growth and preventing diseases like rickets and osteoporosis. In addition to its skeletal effects, vitamin D is necessary towards the regulation of immune response, cardiovascular, and cell growth as highlighted by several lists of experimental as well as epidemiological studies. It is has become known that insufficiency of vitamin D is broadly associated to an increased number of chronic pathologies, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, or some malignancies, which highlight its role in the body system. This review shows the multidimensional physiological functions of vitamin D, its endogenous and exogenous sources and highlights the consequences of deficiency hence the need to maintain optimal levels in the serum to promote healthy lifestyles.