Vitamin D

A vital nutrient for good health is vitamin D.It facilitates the body's absorption and utilization of vital minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, which are all essential for healthy bone development. This article is intended for informational purposes to help Welzo users understand vitamin D.

What is Vitamin D?

Additionally, vitamin D helps to maintain healthy skin, the development of the brain, and the immune system.As one of the main sources of vitamin D, UV rays from the sun can make it challenging to get enough of it.Thankfully, dietary supplements like our own Vitamin D are made to give your body the nutrients it requires!Along with other healthy components, our vitamin D capsules include 2400IU of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

With a variety of strengths available, you can select the ideal dietary supplement to satisfy your unique requirements.

What are the health benefits of Vitamin D?

Bone health depends on vitamin D. It facilitates the deposit of calcium and phosphorus in the bones by assisting the body's absorption of these nutrients from the diet. Lack of vitamin D can cause osteomalacia in adults and rickets in children, both of which are problems with the bones.

Additionally essential for immune system health is vitamin D. The risk of respiratory infections like the flu has been linked to vitamin D deficiency.

Additionally, vitamin D may improve muscle function and lower the risk of developing certain types of cancer.

What are the risks of taking Vitamin D supplements?

Vitamin D toxicity can result from taking supplements with high doses (more than 4,000 IU per day), which can result in issues like high blood calcium levels and kidney stones.Although vitamin D toxicity is uncommon, it can be dangerous if left untreated.

Additionally, vitamin D supplements may interact with drugs like bisphosphonates, which are prescribed to treat osteoporosis.As a result, it's crucial to consult a medical expert before taking vitamin D supplements.

How much Vitamin D do I need?

Your age, skin tone, and whether you spend most of your time outdoors or indoors determine how much vitamin D you need.

In general, adults require 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D daily, while kids only require 400 IU. However, some individuals might require more vitamin D than this, and your healthcare provider can help you determine the ideal dosage for you.

Various foods, such as oily fish, eggs, and fortified cereals, contain vitamin D. Sunlight exposure is another source of vitamin D.

Mechanism of action

For normal bone mineralization and to prevent hypocalcemic tetany, vitamin D maintains adequate serum calcium and phosphate concentrations and encourages calcium absorption in the gut.Additionally, it is necessary for osteoblasts and osteoclasts to remodel and grow new bone.Immune system performance, cell growth, and inflammation reduction are all influenced by vitamin D.

The serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), which represents vitamin D produced endogenously by sun exposure (80%) as well as dietary intake (20%), is used to determine one's vitamin D status. To become biologically active, vitamin D from the diet or skin synthesis must go through two separate metabolic conversions in the liver and kidney. The liver converts vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), also known as calcidiol, and the kidney transforms it into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3), also known as calcitriol, which is vitamin D3's active metabolite.

PTH, calcium, and phosphorus work together to tightly regulate the serum concentration of 1,25(OH)2D3. Hyperparathyroidism and secondary hypocalcemia are side effects of vitamin D deficiency. Hypercalcemia and calcification of soft tissues are side effects of vitamin D overdose.

The fat-soluble vitamin vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is created in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight. Additional dietary sources of vitamin D3 include fish, eggs, fortified milk and cereals, supplements, and eggs. In the liver, vitamin D3 is transformed into 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (calcidiol), and in the kidney, it is transformed into 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol).

The active form of vitamin D is calcitriol. It promotes bone mineralization, increases gut absorption of calcium, and controls calcium and phosphorus homeostasis to allow for normal bone mineralization. The immune system, cell growth, and inflammation reduction are additional functions of vitamin D.

Rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults can both result from a vitamin D deficiency. Hypercalcemia and the calcification of soft tissues are side effects of vitamin D overdose. There are several forms of vitamin D supplements, including tablets, capsules, liquids, and injectable solutions. In addition to topical gels and oral solutions, vitamin D3 is also offered. There are oral solutions, topical gels, and injectable solutions for vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol).