Vitamin D

Up until recent history, Vitamin D has been best known for it’s critical involvement in the absorption of calcium and consequently it’s role in bone density.

More recently, research has been uncovering Vitamin D’s other critical roles in health maintenance and disease prevention.  It is because Vitamin D is a steroid hormone precursor that it has such a wide spread positive health effects.

Vitamin D deficiency plays a role in 30 different conditions, 17 of those being different types of cancer.  Included in that list is:

• Autoimmune diseases
• Birth defects
• Chronic pain
• Cancer
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Fatigue
• Gum disease
• Hypertension
• Heart disease
• Muscle wasting
• Muscle weakness
• Osteoarthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Stroke

Forms of Vitamin D

Cholecalciferol (vitamin D3)

Cholecalciferol is the naturally occurring form of vitamin D. It is manufactured in the skin when sunlight contacts bare skin.  It takes 30 minutes of full body sun exposure for the skin to make a minimum 10,000 units of vitamin D.  This form of vitamin D is also the form that is found in over-the-counter supplements in pharmacies and health food stores.

Calcidiol (25-hydroxy vitamin D)

Calcidiol is made from cholecalciferol (D3).  This is the form of vitamin D that is considered a prehormone.  Blood levels of Calidiol are considered the best indicator of a person's vitamin D status.  Doctors most commonly use it's other name (25-hydroxy vitamin D) when ordering the lab test.

Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D)

Sometimes referred to as the “active form” of vitamin D, Calcitriol is made from Calcidiol predominantly in the kidneys.  This is considered one of the most potent steroid hormones in the human body.  Calcitriol has been and continues to be studied for it’s anti-cancer activity.

For more information on Vitamin D, please visit the extensive site of the Vitamin D Council at www.vitamindcouncil.com