Vitamin D3 – Five Things You Should Know
September 7th, 2011Vitamin D is more commonly referred to as the sunshine vitamin. However, there was a widespread debate on the ‘vitamin’ part of it, until it was finally established that it is a hormone as well as a vitamin! Do not get confused – here is the actual break-up. Vitamin D can be divided into 2 parts – D2 and D3. While D2 is a vitamin, D3 is the hormone.
Myths and facts about Vitamin D2 and D3
Before speaking about the myths or facts, let the difference between the two ‘parts’ of the sunshine vitamin be known . Beginning with the Vitamin D2, it is synthesized by plants, yeast and fungi; it is technically known as ergocalciferol. While Vitamin D3 is called cholecalciferol. Both contain calcium and iron ions in their makeup and therefore the name. Vitamin D2 can be fortified in our foods but Vitamin D3 can't be. Interestingly, Vitamin D3 is the more important of the two. Vitamin D is also a fat soluble nutrient and hence is stored in the body’s reserve fat (Vitamin D3).
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is the hormone which is synthesized by the human body on exposure to sunlight. It is the sun’s electromagnetic energy that produces the vitamin within our body and helps regulate the body balance. Since foods are fortified with Vitamin D2 which is not useable by our bodies, the only sources of the important Vitamin D3 are natural sunlight, and supplements.
The actual action and reaction that occurs inside the human body is that when sunlight reaches our skin, Vitamin D synthesizes to form Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 has many important roles in the human body. The most important of which is the regulation of calcium and phosphorous in our body. This directly impacts the maintenance of our bones and teeth. Milk is one well known food that accelerates the fast synthesis of Vitamin D3 in the body, in the event that the skin exposed to the sun.
The benefits of the vitamin are many and it is essential for bone growth and strength . This is also one of the several reasons why physicians recommend moms to have their kids play in the sun for a while , each day – that increases the bone density and bone growth is also taken care of . Even during pregnancy, Vitamin D3 helps reduce depression and emotional disorders in pregnant women. This is a multi-faceted Vitamin with many target areas.
Researchers have also discovered that bone cancer or even issues associated with the bone marrow can be certainly avoided and prevented if an individual has adequate exposure to sun; however, one must take note of the fact that too much exposure to the sun can be harmful for the skin and can lead to skin complications.
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