Buy Natural Vitamin D Supplements

Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin, is naturally present in very little foods, and added to others and also available as a dietary supplement. It is produced in plenty when ultraviolet rays from the sun strike the skin of a person and start the synthesis of Vitamin D. The Vitamin D that is obtained from the food, exposure to the sun and supplements is biologically inert and I order for activation must undergo two hydroxylation processes in the body. The first process that it undergoes is in the liver and converts the Vitamin D into 25- hydroxyvitamin D which is also known as calcidiol. The second process occurs primarily in the kidney and forms the physiologically active 1, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D which is also known as calcitriol.

Vitamin D is very important for promoting the calcium absorption in the gut and also maintaining an adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations in order to enable a normal mineralization of the bone and also prevent a hypocalcemic tetany. Another requirement is for bone growth and bone remodeling by the osteoblasts and osteoclasts. If there is not enough of Vitamin D bones tend to become thin and brittle. Adequate vitamin D in children prevents them from getting rickets and osteomalacia in adults.

Vitamin D plays various roles in human health which includes modulation of the neuromuscular as well as immune function and also a reduction of inflammation. Several laboratory cultured human cells have Vitamin D receptors.

There are very few foods which in nature would contain Vitamin D by themselves. Flesh of salmon, tuna and mackerel and even the liver oils from fish are the best sources of Vitamin D. Small amounts of it are found in beef liver, egg yolks and cheese. In these foods Vitamin D is in the form of Vitamin D3 and also its metabolite. There are some mushrooms that provide Vitamin D2 in variable amounts.

A complete cloud would cover the UV energy by about 50%. A shade which would include the part produced by pollution reduces that chance by 60%. The UVB radiation cannot penetrate glass and so an exposure to sunshine indoors through windows does not in no way produce Vitamin D. Sunscreens which have a sun protection factor of 8 or maybe more also tend to stop or block the vitamin D producing UV rays. Although in practice people would generally not apply sufficient amounts to cover all the sun exposed skin. They don't even reapply the sunscreen regularly.

Even though the sun is very important for Vitamin D synthesis, it is sensible to limit the exposure of our skin to direct sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation is a carcinogen which is responsible for most of the estimated 1.5 million skin cancers and also the 800 deaths which were due to metastatic melanoma which occurs annually n the United States. As the ultraviolet s accumulated in the skin over a period of time may damage the skin over a period of time causing dryness associated with age and other cosmetic changes as well. It is yet not known if there is a desirable level of regular sun exposure which may not impose any risk of cancer or any other disease over time.

• Felicia Byrnes
• 22/04/2009, 6:59 AM
• 0 Comments