Product Review

Vitamin D can be found in small amounts in a few foods, including fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines and tuna. To make Vitamin D more available, it is added to dairy products, juices, and cereals that are then said to be "fortified with Vitamin D." But most Vitamin D - 80% to 90% of what the body gets - is obtained through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be made in the laboratory as medicine.

Vitamin D is has been shown in some studies to show potential health benefits in conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Because Vitamin D is involved in regulating the levels of minerals, it is used for conditions caused by low levels of Phosphorous and low levels of Calcium.

How does it work?

Vitamin D is required for the regulation of the minerals Calcium and Phosphorus found in the body. It also plays an important role in maintaining proper bone structure.

Sun exposure is an easy, reliable way for most people to get Vitamin D. Exposure of the hands, face, arms, and legs to sunlight two to three times a week for about one-fourth of the time it would take to develop a mild sunburn will cause the skin to produce enough Vitamin D. The necessary exposure time varies with age, skin type, season, time of day, etc.

Nevertheless, Vitamin D deficiency is more common than you might expect. People who don't get enough sun, especially people living in Canada and the northern half of the US, are especially at risk. Vitamin D deficiency also occurs even in sunny climates, possibly because people are staying indoors more, covering up when outside, or using sunscreens consistently.

Older people are also at risk for Vitamin D deficiency. They are less likely to spend time in the sun, have fewer "receptors" in their skin that convert sunlight to Vitamin D or may not get Vitamin D in their diet.