The D vitamin is the only vitamin that is not obtained from foods that are consumed. Instead, the D vitamin is actually obtained by sunlight on the skin. There has been a lot of media coverage about the dangers of getting too much sun but it is essential that the skin is exposed to sunlight to obtain the recommended daily allowance of the D vitamin. In reality, the amount of time that a person has to spend in the sun to receive a sufficient dose of the D vitamin is extremely small and just a few minutes a day will be sufficient and not have any adverse effects from the amount of ultra-violet light received.
The most important function of the D vitamin is to help control how much calcium is absorbed from food. The majority of the calcium is used to build strong teeth and bones but it is also needed to send messages along the nerves and to help muscles, such as the heart muscles, to contract. It is the D vitamin that ensures that there is always sufficient calcium in the blood to perform these tasks. Other functions that require the D vitamin relate to the immune system and it is believed that it is also a contributing factor in reducing the risk of contracting cancer and, in particular, colon cancer.
The variant of the D vitamin that is formed
under the skin is known as vitamin D3, or
cholecalciferol.
This D vitamin is created when the ultraviolet
in the sunlight reacts with a type of cholesterol
that is found under the skin naturally. The D3
is converted into a more active form of the d
vitamin in the liver and is then diverted to where
it is needed the most. Some of the D vitamin
remains in the liver and kidneys to help
reabsorb the calcium from the blood. The rest
of the D vitamin is dispersed to the bones to
help them retain their calcium and the intestines
to aid absorption of calcium from food.
Even though the majority of the D vitamin is
formed through the exposure of the skin to
sunlight there are some foods that do contain
some of the vitamin naturally. This form of
the D vitamin is known as vitamin D2, or
ergocalciferol. This is used in the same way
as the other D vitamins and is the type used
to create the majority of D vitamin
supplements.
Visit Nature's Brands and BLG Health for
more information on vitamins and
supplements
Presented by Larry Guzda
Information on this page is provided for informational purposes only. It is not meant to be a substitute for medical advise. Contact your physician for diagnoses of all health related problems as soon as possible.Dietary supplements HAVE NOT be evaluated by The Food And Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose,treat,cure or prevent any disease.
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