Now that we've covered some important aspects of Vitamin D, let's turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered in becoming more knowlegable of this remarkable vitamin.

Many people from cultures around the world talk about exposing babies and children to the sun early in the morning, to get their Vitamins, has a medical base - indeed as shown by the latest medical research - confirming that Vitamin D can indeed be manufactured from sun rays. But there is more to Vitamin D than just being synthesized through the sun.

Like most Vitamins which can be sourced from food, Vitamin D is sourced not only from the UV rays of the sun but also from various food groups. However, a person who wants a free dose of this vitamin can get it by exposing himself to the sun as the latter triggers the synthesis of Vitamin D in the skin.

Vitamin D per se doesn't do wonders for the body (although there are some forms that are active like Calciferol - Solgar Vitamin D3) because it needs to be chemically converted into dihydroxyvitamin D. The conversion is done with the help of the kidneys and the liver. This form of Vitamin D is important as it is responsible for: Stimulating phosphorus and calcium absorption Helps in formation of strong bones Along with the other Vitamins and minerals, Vitamin D promotes the mineralization of bones Help in the maintenance of a healthy immune system Preventing rickets (for children) Preventing osteomalacia (for adults) Regulates growth of cells

Anyone who wants to get a regular dose of Vitamin D can look for fortified foods or regular food groups that have substantial content of this vitamin. Vitamin D can be sourced from some of the following food sources.

Cooked mackerel and salmon Canned tuna fish and sardines Milk (whether whole milk, reduced fat milk, nonfat milk, or milk fortified with Vitamin D) Margarine fortified with Vitamin D Cereals fortified with Vitamin Egg yolk (although eating the whole egg is advisable) Swiss cheese Cooked beef and liver Sunlight

While sunlight is considered an important source of Vitamin D there are many more things that affect the synthesis of this vitamin in the skin, like smog, pollution, cloud cover, time of the day when exposed, season and the use of sunscreen (importantly a sunscreen with at least an SPF 8 will inhibit the exposure to UV rays of the sun). A 10-minute exposure to the rays of the sun may be enough to allow Vitamin D synthesis but the user should apply sunscreen with SPF 15 to protect his skin from the damaging effects of the sun.

A person who wants to maintain healthy bones should make sure he gets Adequate Intake of Vitamin D. Here is a guide to the daily AI of Vitamin D (in International Units or IU) according to age bracket:

Children up to 13 years old-200 IU Men and women who are 14 to 18 years old-200IU Men and women who are 51 to 70 years old-400 IU Men and women who are over 71 years of age-600 IU Pregnant women 14 to 50 years old-200 IU Lactating women 14 to 50 years old-200 IU

Despite the ready availability of sunlight and foods containing Vitamin D, deficiency can still occur among all age groups due to a lot of factors including absorption defects (problem with the kidney resulting to failure in conversion), poor diet, lack of sun exposure, and increasing requirements of the Vitamin. Among those who usually experience Vitamin D deficiency are vegetarians, people who are lactose intolerant as well as those with dairy allergies.

Effects of Vitamin D deficiency:

A person who is deficient in Vitamin D can be susceptible to bone-related diseases like: 1. Rickets-This is a disease of the bone which is characterized by deformities in the bones. This occurs when the body fails to mineralize the bone tissues properly due to lack of Vitamin D. Research however shows that this can be reversed with the daily intake of up to 3 teaspoons of cod liver oil. The prevalence of Rickets among Americans resulted to the mandatory Vitamin D fortification on milk.

2. Osteomalacia-This is a bone disease identified with adults and is characterized by weak muscles and bones. The problem is that such deficiency can't be easily detected until bone weakness and other bone-related diseases shows up which can take long. Americans who are over 50 years of age are more susceptible to getting this disease because their skin is no longer as efficient in synthesizing Vitamin D. The same goes for their kidneys. Vitamin D supplements are thus recommended for these people.

3. Osteoporosis-Whilst this disease is more identified with lack of calcium resulting to fragile bones, this is also one of the long terms effects of Vitamin D deficiency. Anyone who supplements with enough Vitamin D will have lesser chances of getting osteoporosis.

Even though Vitamin D deficiency can result in bone-related diseases, too much intake of Vitamin D can also be a health hazard as it can cause vomiting, nausea, weight loss and constipation. However, a person who relies on the sun for his Vitamin D is safe from toxicity. Those taking in supplements should be careful not to go overboard, and follow the recommendations on the bottle.

Now you can be a confident expert on Vitamin D. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on Vitamin D.