25-OH vitamin D

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.

Included in profiles: