What is Vitamin D? What are they found in?
Vitamin D, also known as sunlight vitamin, is produced by the body in response to sun exposure; It can also be consumed in food or supplements.
Getting enough vitamin D is important for a number of reasons, including the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth; it can also protect against a variety of conditions such as cancer, type 1 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
Vitamin D plays multiple roles in the body and helps:
- Protect the health of bones and teeth.
- It supports the health of the immune system, brain and nervous system.
- It regulates insulin levels and helps diabetes management.
- Support lung functions and cardiovascular health.
- It affects the expression of genes that play a role in cancer development.
Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin.
Despite its name, vitamin D is actually considered a hormone pro, not a vitamin.
Vitamins are foods that cannot be created by the body, and therefore need to be taken from our diet.
However, vitamin D can be synthesized by our body when sunlight hits our skin.
It is estimated that exposure to sensitive sunlight on bare skin 2-3 times a week for 5-10 minutes allows most people to produce enough vitamin D, but vitamin D breaks down fairly quickly, thereby reducing stores, especially in winter.
Recent research has shown that a significant percentage of the global population is deficient in vitamin D.