What Does Vitamin D Do? - Bloggerbot โปรโมทเว็บไซต์

We all know that Vitamin D is important. But what does Vitamin D do to strengthen and protect our health?

The major function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It is best known for helping the body to absorb calcium into the bones, improving bone density and preventing osteoporosis. Research also suggests that vitamin D may provide protection from hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer and several autoimmune diseases.

Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin" and is formed naturally by the body when exposed to the sun. As little as 10 minutes of exposure is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies...if a person is living below the 42 latitude (below Boston or Rome). Vitamin D is also found in many dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod liver oil. But aside from cod liver oil, few foods provide enough vitamin D to ensure that we develop the recommended levels in our blood.

There are several different forms of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is synthesized by plants while Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is synthesized by our skin when we are exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays from sunlight. While most vitamin supplements and dairy products are fortified with D3, some orange juices and soymilks are fortified with D2 which research suggests is less effective than D3.

Rickets, osteomalacia and osteoporosis are classic vitamin D deficiency diseases. In children, vitamin D deficiency causes rickets, which results in skeletal deformities often in the form of bowed legs. In adults, vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteomalacia, which results in soft bones, bone pain and muscular weakness. Populations that are at risk for vitamin D deficiency include the elderly, obese individuals, exclusively breastfed infants and those who have limited sun exposure. Limited sun exposure can result from living in northern countries where the ultraviolet radiation is low or being bed ridden for extended periods. Also, individuals who have fat malabsorption syndromes (e.g., cystic fibrosis) or inflammatory bowel disease (e.g., Crohn's disease) are at risk.

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