Vitamin
D
By Andrew Pacholyk LMT, MT-BC, CA
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Vitamin
D, calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin. It is found in food, but also
can be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun
(1,2). Vitamin D exists in several
forms, each with a different activity. Some forms are relatively inactive
in the body, and have limited ability to function as a vitamin. The liver
and kidney help convert vitamin D to its active hormone form. (3). The major biologic function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus (4). Vitamin D assists in the absorption of calcium, helping to form and maintain strong bones. It promotes bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones. Without vitamin D, bones can become thin, brittle or soft. Vitamin D prevents rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which are skeletal diseases that result in defects that weaken bones (5,6). Fortified foods are
the major dietary sources of vitamin
D (4). Prior to the fortification of milk products in the 1930s, rickets
(a bone disease seen in children) was a major public health problem in
the United States. Milk in the United States is fortified with 10 micrograms
(400 IU) of vitamin D per quart,
and rickets is now One cup of vitamin
D fortified milk supplies about one-fourth of the estimated daily
need for this vitamin for adults. Although milk is fortified with vitamin
D, dairy products made from milk such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream
are generally not fortified with vitamin
D. Only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of Article Continued In Next Column Your Health Freedom May Be At Risk! Check Our CODEX/Activism Section | Main Articles Page | |
Exposure to sunlight
is an important source of vitamin D.
Ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight trigger vitamin
D synthesis in the skin (7,8). Season, latitude, time of day, cloud
cover, smog, and suncreens affect UV ray exposure (8). For example, in
Boston the average amount of sunlight is insufficient to produce significant
vitamin D synthesis in the skin from
November through February. Sunscreens with a sun protection factor of
8 or greater will block UV rays that produce vitamin
D, but it is still important to routinely use sunscreen whenever sun
exposure is longer than 10 to 15 minutes. It is especially important for
individuals with limited sun exposure Life-Stage Men Women
*1 mcg vitamin D = 40 International Units (IU) References GHOE Note: NSP has an Vitamin D Your Health Freedom May Be At Risk! Check Our CODEX/Activism Section | Main Articles Page | |
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