According to a study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," most humans depend on sun exposure to satisfy nutritional vitamin D requirements. The study suggests that avoiding all direct sun exposure may increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency. According to a Natural News article, your body naturally produces vitamin D upon sunlight exposure, but less time spent outdoors may contribute to widespread vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D
Foods like fish, eggs and milk contain dietary vitamin D. The sun contributes to your body's production of vitamin D. According to the Mayo Clinic, 10 minutes of exposure to sunlight may prevent vitamin D deficiencies. Vitamin D primarily maintains normal blood levels of minerals that help form and maintain strong bones. The Mayo Clinic suggests that vitamin D may help protect you from ailments like osteoporosis, hypertension and cancer.
Vitamin D2 Ergocalciferol
Plants such as yeast and fungi contain a sterol known as ergosterol, or provitamin D sterol. According to the Vitamins and Health Supplements Guide, ultraviolet light waves from sunlight irradiate ergosterol to convert it to ergocaliciferol or vitamin D2. Your liver metabolizes vitamin D2 and converts it to the pre-hormone known as calcifediol. Your kidney hydroxylates calicifediol and coverts it to calcitriol. According to The U.S. National Library of Medicine, calcitriol is a form of vitamin D that may help prevent low calcium levels, and generally helps your body use more calcium from food or supplements. Clinicians may prescribe calcitriol to treat rickets, a condition characterized by softening and weakening bones in a person with a vitamin D deficiency. Calcitriol may help treat a premature baby who needs higher amounts of calcium in his blood. According to Drugs.com, dihydrotachysterol is a synthetic version of vitamin D produced from vitamin D2. Dihydrotachysterol helps your body absorb and use calcium to help protect your bones and teeth. Clinicians may prescribe dihydrotachysterol to a patient who lacks calcium in her blood or lacks parathyroid hormone.
Vitamin D3 Cholecalciferol
According to The Vitamins and Health Supplements Guide, the skin of higher animals contains a sterol known as 7-dehydrocholesterol. Sunlight or ultraviolet light converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to vitamin D3 or natural vitamin D. The Supplements Guide suggests that vitamin D3 is a "preferable" form of vitamin D, because D3 has more biological activity in your body. Vitamin D3 is a fat-soluble vitamin, which indicates that D3 absorption depends on bile fluids and fats in your intestines. Your body stores vitamin D3 but your liver converts some of it to calcifediol. Your kidneys convert calcifediol into calcitriol. Your body needs vitamin D3 to assimilate vitamin A and use the minerals calcium and phosphorus. Cholecalciferol increases serum calcium concentrations by increasing absorption of phosphorus and calcium in your gastrointestsinal tracts. These minerals may help reduce lead absorption in your body. According to an "Environmental Research" study, calcium and phosphorus are primarily responsible for reducing gastrointestinal absorption of lead in humans.
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