Skin color and health are affected by vitamin D levels.
The vitamin D-3 response element, or VDRE, is the DNA sequence in human genes that is regulated by the presence of vitamin D in the body. The VDRE is associated with genetic variations in humans, such as skin color, because of the close relationship between vitamin D and a person's pigment. Changing the VDRE of a person is not simply a matter of changing vitamin D intake, but rather is the result of a long process that takes place at the generational genetic level.
Instructions
- 1
Understand the importance of the VDRE. Doing so will help you to see why the concept of changing it involves much more than just taking a few simple steps. When vitamin D is present in the body, the genetic receptors that bind to the vitamin D undergo a series of reactions, creating a specific chain of events at the genetic level. The result is that one set of DNA strands is copied onto a complimentary RNA sequence. RNA, or ribonuceic acid, is the part of the cell responsible for translating the information contained in DNA into a protein that is then used by the body.
- 2
Recognize the relationship between vitamin D and overall bodily health. Vitamin D is essential to skin health, but it also regulates many of the other systems in the body that are directly related to the immune system. Increased levels of vitamin D affect the ability of the body to fight off the effects of illness. Two methods exist for raising vitamin D levels in the body: take supplements internally or increase your exposure to the sun. The body naturally increases its vitamin D levels in response to the sun's rays. This does not mean that you should spend an inordinate amount of time sunbathing nor does it mean that you should lie in a suntanning bed.
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- 3
Consult a dermatologist to determine the proper level of exposure needed to maintain the proper vitamin D level in your body. Doing so will have an effect on your body's overall production of vitamin D and the VDRE response within the body.
- 4
Recognize that the idea of changing the body's VDRE is really a matter of changing the body's genetic coding through overall health and diet practices. Changes that take place at the genetic level do so over the course of time and result in changes to the genes of the generations that follow. The ability of human beings to actually control this process is limited, but can be affected by dietary and environmental factors.
