Vitamin D and Its Importance for Health

Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble substances (calciferols) of which the most important are D2 and D3.The liver and kidneys convert vitami
D to the active form called calcitriol that is used to regulate many processes in the body.

The best natural source of vitami
D (D3) is fat fish. The skin also makes vitami
D3 with the help of energy from sun light.

THE ROLE OF VITAMIN D

Vitamin D promotes the uptake of calcium from the intestines and the re-uptake of calcium from the kidneys. It stimulates the white blood cells to catch foreign or dangerous elements. It also regulates (mostly stimulates) the production and maturing of new cells in many tissues.

CONSEQUENCES OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

Lack of vitami
D is caused by poor diet, by lack of sun exposure and by certain conditions that hinders the uptake of vitami
D in the digestive tract.

Vitamin D deficiency causes diseases that gives deformed bones, low calcium content in the bones and brittle bones, like rickets in children and osteomalacia or osteoporosis.in adult persons.

Growing evidence show that too low intake of vitami
D contributes to circulatory problems like hypertension, narrowing of blood vessels, heart failure and stoke. Persons with diabetes seem to get the most increased risk by lack of vitami
D. Vitamin D deficiency also seems to increase the risk of getting cancer, especially colo-rectal, breast and prostate cancer.

Low intake of vitami
D gives poor immune function and can make a person susceptible to infections of various kind or to autoimmune diseases like diabetes type1, and also to diabetes type 2.

Low levels of vitami
D in the body probably also contributes to increased aging signs on the cellular levels and age-realted diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer's disease Parkinson's disease and peripheral neuropathy.

Low levels of calcium in the body also seems to contribute to the risk of getting many of the listed ailments, especially the bone disorders and cancer.

HOW TO GET ENOUGH VITAMIN D

A commonly recommended daily intake of vitami
D is 200-600 IU (international units)., with the highest doses for older people. According to growing evidence, this seems to be too little and up to 2000 IU may be good for the health. Obese persons seem to require more vitami
D than normally weighted individuals.

However, a too high daily intake of vitami
D is toxic and a much higher intake that 2000 IU may give risk for poisoning.

Fat fish and fish liver oil are the best natural sources of vitami
D3. Another good natural way to get vitami
D3 is by exposing great skin areas for sunlight some time every week. Some food products are often fortified in vitami
D, especially milk and juice. In the United States fortified products are probably the most important supply of this vitamin for many people.

Food from plant sources contain little vitami
D, but fatty plant products contain some vitami
D2. People that do not eat fish often, do not expose their skin to sunlight or do not consume fortified products have a risk of getting too little vitami
D.

If it is difficult to get enough vitami
D by the food alone or by the amount of sun exposure, a supplement can be useful, for example supplements based on fish liver as a source. If the diet is low in calcium or if the purpose is to improve bone integrity, it will usually be wise to take a supplement of calcium together with vitami
D. A too high intake of both calcium and vitami
D can however result in unwanted calcium deposits in the body.