The authors document and define many of the key health related roles of vitamin D. Its traditional application in bone and muscle health as well as therapy of arthritis is expanded and clarified with new research. A better understanding of the effects of vitamin D inadequacy is modelled using problems ranging from infant growth retardation to chronic kidney and periodontal disease. Uniquely the vitamin's role in resistance and treatment of infectious diseases is shown in examples ranging from HIV/AIDS to tuberculosis. Mechanistic understanding of vitamin D's actions is enhanced by looking into its effects on immune modulation and inflammation. Expansion of the role of sunlight in stimulating vitamin D production is discussed relative to the reduction in a variety of cancers.

Within the last few years, knowledge about vitamins has increased dramatically, resulting in improved understanding of human requirements for many vitamins. This new edition of a bestseller presents comprehensive summaries that analyze the chemical, physiological, and nutritional relationships, as well as highlight newly identified functions, for a

A Comprehensive Reference On Vitamin D CHEMISTRY This hands-on, comprehensive reference provides accessible, organized information on the structures and applications of Vitamin D and its related chemicals. The most extensive published list of Vitamin D molecules, it provides a record for approximately 950 derivatives of Vitamins D2 and D3. Information provided of each compound includes: Structure, chemical name, synonyms, and properties Information on bioactivities, structure-activity relationships (SAR), synthesis, and toxicity data CAS registry number and/or NLM PubChem chemical identification number References to published work on the compound This unique, full perspective on the chemistry of Vitamin D includes detailed indexes that facilitate the search for a specific compound. With monographs of all the chemicals related to Vitamin D in published literature, Vitamin D Handbook: Structures, Synonyms, and Properties is an invaluable resource for anyone conducting research on Vitamin D, including chemists, biochemists, research directors, and clinical directors. It is also an excellent resource for graduate students. G. W. A. MILNE spent thirty-five years as a senior researcher at the National Institutes of Health where he worked on spectroscopy for structure determination of organic compounds and on molecular modeling in the design of drugs for the treatment of cancer and AIDS. He is a former editor of the ACS Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences. In addition, he is the editor of seventeen Ashgate Handbooks, including the Ashgate Handbook of Pesticides and Agricultural Chemicals; Gardner's Chemical Synonyms and Trade Names, Eleventh Edition; Drugs: Synonyms and Properties, Second Edition; and Gardner's Commercially Important Chemicals (all published by Wiley). In 1999, he was one of two recipients of the Skolnik Award from the Chemical Information Division of the American Chemical Society. MICHAEL DELANDER is a biotechnology consultant and the founder and research librarian for MDs Research Library, a literature and Internet sources research firm.

The first demonstration of the existence of a vitamin and the full recognition of this fact are often attributed to the work of McCollum, who found that a sub stance in butterfat and cod-liver oil was necessary for growth and health of ani mals fed purified diets. It became obvious that an organic substance present in microconcentrations was vital to growth and reproduction of animals. Following the coining of the word vitamine by Funk, McCollum named this fat-soluble sub stance vitamin A. We can, therefore, state that vitamin A was certainly one of the first known vitamins, yet its function and the function of the other fat-soluble vitamins had remained largely unknown until recent years. However, there has been an explosion of investigation and new information in this field, which had remained quiescent for at least two or three decades. It is now obvious that the fat-soluble vitamins function quite differently from their water-soluble counter parts. We have learned that vitamin D functions by virtue of its being converted in the kidney to a hormone that functions to regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism. This new endocrine system is in the process of being elucidated in detail, and in addition, the medical use of these hormonal forms of vitamin D in the treatment of a variety of metabolic bone diseases has excited the medical com munity.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue "Vitamin D and Human Health" that was published in Nutrients

Research and clinical application of vitamin D has increased dramatically over the past decade stimulated by novel health promotion discoveries and documentation. This book brings together key researchers with their views focusing on the health promotion role of vitamin D. Such information is vital to clinicians, users of vitamin D supplements of all ages and those interested in public policy. The authors document and define many of the key health related roles of vitamin D. Its traditional application in bone and muscle health as well as therapy of arthritis is expanded and clarified with new research. A better understanding of the effects of vitamin D inadequacy is modelled using problems ranging from infant growth retardation to chronic kidney and periodontal disease. Uniquely the vitamin?s role in resistance and treatment of infectious diseases is shown in examples ranging from HIV/AIDS to tuberculosis. Mechanistic understanding of vitamin D's actions is enhanced by looking into its effects on immune modulation and inflammation. Expansion of the role of sunlight in stimulating vitamin D production is discussed relative to the reduction in a variety of cancers. Clearly vitamin D is like a two edged sword with great benefits but also some risks. This book provides carefully defined examples of both situations.

This informative treatise offers a concise collection of existing, expert data summarizing the composition of milk. The Handbook of Milk Composition summarizes current information on all aspects of human and bovine milk, including: sampling, storage, composition, as well as specific chapters on major and minor components such as protein, carbohydrates, lipids, electrolytes, minerals, vitamins and hormones. The book also features comprehensive coverage of compartmentation, host-defense components, factors affecting composition, composition of commercial formulas, and contaminants.* Reliable data on the composition of human and bovine milks.* Discusses the many factors affecting composition.* Composition tables make up 25-30% of the total book.* Problems concerning sampling and analysis are described.* Should appeal equally to industry and academia.* Also of interest to developing countries in need of information on infant nutrition and agricultural development