Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol)
The Undercover Vitamin
Vitamin D, also known as Cholecalciferol, is a steroid hormone. It is not technically a vitamin at all. Below, we will share with you some vitamin D benefits, how vitamin D works, some the varied sources of vitamin D, and a few more vitamin D facts.
Vitamin D Benefits
The main function of vitamin D in your body is to maintain the proper balance of calcium and phosphorus to support bone mineralization, thereby promoting strong bones. It stands to reason that a vitamin D deficiency would lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, two skeletal diseases that weaken your bones.
Vitamin D also helps absorb phosphorous and magnesium.
Like most nutrients, vitamin D does not work alone. It is most effective when cooperating with other vitamins, minerals and hormones to improve bone mineralization.
Recent research suggests that vitamin D might play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system and cell formation, as well as some cancers.
Sources of Vitamin D
Humans get their vitamin D both from food sources and from sunlight, making it unique among the major vitamins. In fact, it can be said that vitamin D is not a true vitamin, since adequate amounts can be obtained completely through non-food sources. For instance, many farmers and other outdoors workers get their required vitamin D directly from the sun during certain times of year.
You know those harmful UV rays blamed for sunburns and skin cancer? Those same UV rays are crucial to delivering your vitamin D. The sun's rays trigger vitamin D synthesis in the skin. 10 – 15 minutes is plenty, so it is advisable to allow yourself a short exposure to the sun, then put on the sunscreen to prevent skin cancer and sunburns.
Even in the shade or under cloudy skies, the sun's rays work to build vitamin D in your skin, but to a much lesser degree.
The most common food source of vitamin D is milk. This is not a natural occurrence; milk is fortified with vitamin D, at least in North America. Milk is rich in calcium, so it is important to ensure adequate vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium.
It is important to note that not all dairy products, such as cheese or yogurt or ice cream, are fortified with vitamin D. On the other hand, many breakfast cereals are fortified to some degree. Check the packaging.
Fish, such as salmon, tuna, herring, sardines or mackerel, as well as oysters, are also rich in vitamin D, and egg yolks and liver have small amounts, as well.
However, the richest dietary source of vitamin D is cod liver oil.
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Get the Most From Your Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin, which means it is stored in your body. Too much vitamin D is not recommended. Vitamin D overdoses can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite and weight loss, constipation, and an overall lack of energy. Too much vitamin D can lead to an overflow of calcium in your bones, eventually settling as calcium deposits in the heart and lungs. However, vitamin D overdosing is unlikely to occur unless you grossly overdo the supplements.
The daily recommended intake of 200 iu is recommended only for people aged 0 to 50. The Osteoporosis Society of Canada recommends double that amount. Older men and women are recommended to take more, and the amount increases with age. With age, skin synthesizes vitamin D less efficiently and the kidney is less capable of converting vitamin D to its active hormone form. In fact, vitamin D deficiency has been blamed for as many as 30% to 40% of hip fractures in elderly people.
If you spend most of your time indoors, where the sun's rays cannot work their magic, you will likely need to supplement your diet with extra vitamin D. Similarly, if you live in a very northern climate, where there is very little sunlight for much of the year, a supplement is important, as it is if you wear head to toe garments as members of some religions do.
If you have a milk allergy or lactose intolerance, or for any reason you do not drink lots of milk or eat fortified breakfast cereals, you should make sure your nutritional supplements include healthy doses of vitamin D.
Dark-skinned people need more vitamin D from their diet, because their skins absorb vitamin D less efficiently from the sun's UV rays.
Note that breastfeeding babies are most in need of vitamin D supplements, as breast milk is not fortified.
A Few More Facts About Vitamin D
Calciferol is the most active form of vitamin D, but there are others. Other formsof vitamin D are fairly inactive in the body. The liver and kidney help convert various forms of vitamin D to its active hormone form, so that the body can make full use of it.
