Symmetry Products with Vitamin D:
NutraPack, Fruit-a-Mins, Calcium Coverage, Premium Plus, Ultra
Vitality, Future Star, Extreme Fuel
Vitamin D is a fat soluble family of
compounds known as vitamins D1, D2 and D3. It is obtained from food,
and, uniquely among the vitamins, it can be created in the skin
through the action of sunlight.
What does it do for your body?
The biologically active form of
vitamin D is a hormone known as calcitriol.
Bone - The most important role of vitamin D is to regulate
the absorption and use of calcium and phosphorus, vital for normal
growth and development of bones and teeth. Vitamin D stimulates
intestinal absorption and reabsorption in the kidneys as well as
maintaining blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It enables bones
and teeth to harden by increasing the deposition of calcium and may
also assist in the movement of calcium across body cell membranes.
Immune System - Vitamin D may also be involved in immune
system regulation and play a part in the prevention and treatment of
infectious diseases. Parts of the bone marrow which produce immune
cells are receptive to vitamin D.
Fertility - Vitamin D is essential for strong pelvic bones
and therefore plays an indirect role in fertility.
Hormones - Vitamin D plays a role in the secretion of insulin
by the pancreas thus aiding in the regulation of blood sugar. It
also affects the parathyroid gland and a hormone that it produces
due to its calcium regulating role.
Nervous System - Vitamin D ensures the functioning of healthy
nerves and muscles by regulating the level of calcium in the blood.
Calcium is vital for normal nerve impulse transmission and muscle
contraction.
Absorption
When taken orally, vitamin D is absorbed with fat through the
intestinal walls. Vitamin D can be stored the fat cells of the
liver, skin, brain and bones in amounts sufficient for many months.
Exposure to sunlight in spring, summer and autumn makes up for any
shortfall in dietary vitamin D and even short exposure to sunlight
during these times is adequate, although there may be problems in
winter months in some climates. Babies under 12 months have stores
of vitamin D which they accumulate while in the womb.
The production of vitamin D in the body is blocked by anything which
blocks ultraviolet light including skin pigment, smog, fog,
sunscreen, windows and hats.
Deficiency
In cases of vitamin D deficiency the body increases production of a
hormone that removes calcium from the bones. In children, this
results in rickets where the bones are so soft that they become
curved from supporting the weight of the body. The equivalent in
adults is osteomalacia with bone pain and tenderness and muscle
weakness.
Other signs of deficiency include hearing loss (due to a softening
of the bones in the inner ear), senile osteoporosis (where the bones
become lighter and less dense) and severe tooth decay.
Older people may be at risk of vitamin deficiency since they do not
absorb or manufacture vitamin D in their bodies as well as younger
people. Others at risk of deficiency include alcoholics, people who
don’t drink milk or get much sunlight, those with fat absorption
problems and darker skinned people living in colder climates.
Vitamin D is converted in the liver and kidneys to its active form
so sufferers of kidney and liver diseases may also be at risk of
vitamin D deficiency.
Therapeutic uses
Vitamin D is recommended to support bone health in postmenopausal
women.
Vitamin D may also be of benefit in the control of psoriasis.
Interactions
Cholestyramine and mineral oil and may interfere with the absorption
of vitamin D. Alcohol interferes with the conversion of vitamin D to
its biologically active form.
Pantothenic acid is necessary for the synthesis of vitamin D.
People taking certain anti-epileptic drugs may develop a form of
resistance to vitamin D.
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