Vitamin D 101: What You Need to Know About the “Sunshine Vitamin”

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that our body manufactures mostly from sunlight. Unlike other vitamins, it is a pro-hormone, or a “substance that the body converts to a hormone.” Upon receiving Vitamin D from various sources (mostly sunlight, but also food), the body converts it many times before it gets used for multiple bodily functions. Sunlight is also a major source of Vitamin D. When you come in contact with the sun’s energy, it transforms a precursor compound in your skin into Vitamin D3. It is then now carried to your liver, then to your kidney where it becomes the active Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps maintain bone health, supports immune and hormone function, and influences cardiovascular health, among many functions. How does Vitamin D help my body? Supports bone health Vitamin D is essential in Calcium absorption from the diet. If the Vitamin D levels are insufficient, the body will take the Calcium stores in the skeleton, thus weakening existing bones and preventing the formation of new, strong bones. This activity causes osteopenia and osteoporosis, increasing risk of fracture. It is thus critical to optimize Vitamin D levels for bone health. Helps keep vital organ healthy Vitamin D has been linked to the protection of body organs. Biochemist Anthony Norman from University of California – Riverside says Vitamin D does not only impact bones, but can also impact 36 organs in the body including the colon, kidney, breast, intestine, lung, etc. He added that it may be potentially helpful to body processes including regulation of the heart and blood pressure. Likewise, lack of Vitamin D may also affect these organs. May help reduce risk of chronic disease Clinical studies suggest that high levels of Vitamin D in adults are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. May help in the management of mental illnesses Studies show that Vitamin D regulates production of certain hormones found in the brain such as adrenaline and noradrenaline. It also helps influence the production of serotonin, the “happy hormone”, which has been linked to depression. Where can I get my daily dose of Vitamin D? Sunlight remains to be the primary source of Vitamin D. Though limited in quantity, Vitamin D can also be found in food like milk, eggs, fish such as salmon and sardines, and fortified orange juice and cereals, to mention some. A Vitamin D supplement may also be taken to help meet daily Vitamin D needs. The recommended daily amount of Vitamin D is as follows: *IU – International Units Children up to 12 months – 400 IU 1 – 70 years old – 600 IU 70 and above – 800 IU What will happen if I don’t get enough of it? Different circumstances might limit sun exposure, access to Vitamin D-enriched food, or access to Vitamin D supplements, which may result to Vitamin D deficiency. Surprisingly, most Filipinos are found to be Vitamin D deficient in spite of living in a tropical country. Having low or insufficient levels of Vitamin D may increase health risks. Some conditions associated with Vitamin D deficiency include: Osteoporosis Osteomalacia Cancer Cardiovascular disease Can I also get too much Vitamin D? Though very rare, there are a few incidences of Vitamin D toxicity. This may happen if you take 40,000 IU daily for two months or longer or a one-time mega dose. This may lead to large amounts of calcium to develop in your blood, a condition called hypercalcemia, characterized by having higher blood calcium than normal.