Dare To Be Aware | Alternative Lifestyle

Vitamin D, Fat Soluble, Rickets, Bones And Effects Of Sunshine

By Viola Woolcott

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble Vitamin. Consisting of two major forms of Vitamin D:

D2 - ergocalciferol

D3 - cholecalciferol

As it is a fat-soluble Vitamin, you do not need to take it on a daily basis. Your body stores what it does not need for the future.

The biological function of Vitamin D is maintaining the normal blood levels and promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphate found in food and is necessary for the development to bones and teeth, as well as keeping them healthy.

Vitamin D supports in the maintenance of a healthy immune system as well as controlling cell growth and differentiation. This is the action that influences what a cell is to become.

It is now believed that Vitamin D is responsible in controlling the production of cells. Research states that this regulating factor is missing in cancer.

Vitamin D deficiency can result in failure in the development of bone growth as well as causing rickets (bone-softening disease) in children and osteomalacia (bone disease) in adults occurring mainly in women.

Studies are suggesting that Vitamin D may have positive effects in reducing some types of cancer such as prostate and colon as well as breast cancer.

Should you take high doses of vitamin D for long periods of time, you may suffer reverse effects which could weaken your bones.

You should be able to get all the Vitamin you need from a healthy, balanced diet and it can also be made in your body after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. Sunshine is a very important source of Vitamin D. But remember, it is still necessary to use (organic, without chemicals) sunscreen to prevent skin cancer as well as other negative consequences.

There is only a small number of good sources for Vitamin D which are oily fish and eggs, and of course sun light.

Filed under: Health and Diet on June 11th, 2009