Travis
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- Joined
- Jul 14, 2016
- Messages
- 3,189
The classic effect of vitamin D is to increase intestinal calcium absorption, which it does by transcribing for Ca²⁺-binding proteins. But vitamin D also seems to be involved in the circadian rhythm. which would make sense considering how it's formation is controlled diurnally (and also dianually, to a degree). Of course melatonin is a more powerful molecular signal yet is the signal for night, not the day like vitamin D is—or was millions of years ago (and still perhaps could be in more primitive species). We also do have cortisol negatively-controlled by melatonin, so this could also be perhaps considered a 'daylight' hormone (a signal, an indicator, or at least a huge confounder).Interesting Travis. How does Vitamin D modify the Ca/Mg ratio? Is there a difference if it is taken oral or transdermal? Interesting about not taking at night.
Bone is best mineralized piezoelectrically—this has been proven—so can only occur under load. This observation fully conforms with Wolff's Law and also the observation that 'astronauts' (actornauts?) will lose bone mass in lower gravity. Calcium is also very involved in muscle contraction so it would make sense why we'd want to increase calcium during the day.
And strangely, there is even more melatonin in the bone marrow than in the pineal gland. This hormone is also involved in bone formation and I think it could be involved in the reverse process, the demineralization (our bones would outgrow us if there wasn't also a catabolic cycle). Since sunlight is correlated with activity and this forms the hydroxyapatite of bone, it would only make sense for our circadian hormones to be regulate calcium influx and also bone proteins—and they do.
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