Vitamin D, referred to as the sunshine vitamin, is an essential nutrient your body needs for good health. It helps you absorb calcium and aids in mineralization of your bones. Few foods contain vitamin D, but your body can manufacture it on its own through sun exposure. However, getting too much sun may increase your risk of melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Knowing the benefits and risks associated with vitamin D and sun exposure can help you determine how best to meet your needs.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin typically obtained from exposure to the sun's rays. It is an integral player a variety of physiologic processes, including bone growth, cardiovascular and kidney function, and the function of ...
Vitamin D encompasses the molecules cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol. This fat-soluble vitamin can be partially synthesized in humans, by exposure to sunlight. It can also be obtained from a variety of plant and animal produc...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin necessary for bone mineralization. It is one of the few vitamins the body can produce. Vitamin D obtained from sun exposure undergoes two conversions to become active. It promotes absorption i...
High blood sugar levels signals prediabetes. Prediabetes is a sign that an individual has a high risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Vitamin D and calcium may play a critical role in reducing blood sugar levels.
Optimal intake of vitamin D, either by sunlight exposure or through the diet, is 15 micrograms per day for men and women ages 1 to 70 and 20 micrograms of vitamin D each day after the age of 70. Maintaining optimal levels of vi...
The phrase "autoimmune disease" encompasses a wide array of conditions, including rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, lupus, inflammatory bowel diseases, Sjögren's syndrome, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Grave's disease, pernic...
Serious athletes know that proper eating plans are important not just for peak performance, but to replace the nutrients lost by intense workouts. Yet getting enough vitamin D can be a challenge in the winter. Along with a few ...
Both calcium and vitamin D are vital for body function. While most people get adequate vitamin D from sun exposure, homebound individuals may be deficient, necessitating dietary supplementation.
The human body also makes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to sunlight. This vitamin may be of particular benefit to women, especially postmenopausal women who may be at risk for osteoporosis, heart disease and weight gain. B...
Vitamin D gets a lot of attention for its effect on your health, and because a deficiency most commonly occurs during the winter months in cold climates. The sunshine vitamin, vitamin D, is also linked to weight loss and weight...
It's synthesized in the skin from sunlight exposure and is found in foods such as egg yolks, salmon, dairy products and cod liver oil. Research indicates that vitamin D has several benefits for overall health, especially for men.
Cal-Mag Citrate 2:1 with 1,000 I.U. Vitamin D from Solaray may support your bone health and provide other health benefits. Take dietary supplements only if your doctor recommends them, and always follow the instructions on the...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that regulates your blood levels of the minerals calcium and phosphorus. Your skin is able to synthesize enough vitamin D to meet your body's requirement provided you receive adequate sunlight...
Vitamin D is found in a few dietary sources such as fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod liver oil. The sun also contributes to the production of vitamin D. According to the MayoClinic.com, 10 minutes of sun exposure daily create...
Caltrate 600 Plus contains the standard Caltrate calcium and vitamin D, but has added minerals, hence the "plus." This variety comes in a pill form and a fruit-flavored chewable. The purpose of taking the Caltrate 600 Plus supp...
The recommended daily allowance for vitamin D was set at a level that will prevent rickets and osteomalacia. If you are 50 or younger, the RDA for vitamin D is 200 IU per day. Those between 51 and 70 years old need at least 400...
Fish oil provides omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential in the diet. Vitamin D plus fish oil supplementation may provide some health benefits, but check with your doctor before starting a dietary supplement.
Sun exposure has been linked to skin cancer risk. Researchers in the "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" asked whether increased sun exposure leads to net health benefits or risks. The researchers concluded -- bas...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is present in very few foods. Proper levels of vitamin D in the body are maintained either through dietary supplements or adequate exposure to sunlight. Exposure to sunlight promotes vi...
Vitamin D is important for optimal health in women. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, which is part of the National Institutes of Health, the adequate intake level of vitamin D is 200 IU per day for women up to th...
Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin manufactured from cholesterol in your body, depends on sunlight on the skin to activate the vitamin's production. Vitamin D occurs naturally in few foods, but many fortified foods contain vitami...
Vitamin D is a fat soluble nutrient that the body needs to develop and maintain strong bones, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Vitamin D also enhances the ability of the immun...
The primary source of Vitamin D is photochemically through the skin from ultraviolet rays in sunlight. If you have limited sunlight, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, or NCBI, advises you may get supplemental V...
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with the increased incidence of several disorders, including depression, but few studies have evaluated the therapeutic benefits of vitamin D supplementation or its mechanism of action.
Vitamin D is an important vitamin that we absorb from exposure to the sun. However, a Scientific American article reports that between the 1980s and 2004, the time people spent exposed to the sun declined dramatically, and as a...
Phosphorus is a mineral that is essential for life. It is found in every cell of your body. It is present in virtually all foodstuffs but particularly in meat, dairy products and fish. Phosphorus is also part of many food addit...
While sunlight is an important source of vitamin D, you also need to eat foods rich in this important vitamin or you need to take a supplement to increase your intake. The current recommendation is 200 IU per day, but you may b...
Found in dairy products and seafood, vitamin D can also be synthesized in the body from direct sunlight. Although vitamin D is associated with bone health, this vital nutrient provides other health benefits for men, including p...
Many people take dietary supplements to augment the vitamins and minerals that may be missing in their diets. Use of Vitamin D and probiotics increased more than 25 percent between 2009 and 2010. The National Institute of Healt...
Vitamin D is a general term for a group of several different vitamins in the vitamin D family. The most important in human biology are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D is found in dairy products, fish, eggs and sunlight. I...
This vitamin can be found in fortified foods such as milk, breakfast cereal, yogurt and orange juice. Vitamin D is responsible for bone formation and preservation, but research is discovering it has other benefits.
Researchers are still discovering all of the health benefits associated with vitamin D, sometimes referred to as the "sunshine" vitamin. It is a fat-soluble vitamin essential for human health and is the only vitamin that can be...
We have all heard of drinking lots of cranberry juice when you have a urinary tract infection (UTI), right? Well, the sugars in D-mannose are the specific components in cranberry juice that act as antibacterial agents. D-mannos...
Otosclerosis is a condition of the middle ear in which there is abnormal bone growth. This growth affects the innermost bone called the stapes. The stapes gets fixed and hence the transmission of sound to the inner ear is affec...
Sunblock should be used to protect your skin from the damaging effects of the sun. Ultraviolet (UV) rays provide humans some benefits including the induction of vitamin D production in the skin, but these rays can also be harmf...
You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't appreciate a warm, sunny day. Moreover, soaking up days has actual health benefits, since sunlight boosts vitamin D, according to the Cleveland Clinic. However, too much exposur...
Vitamin D, commonly referred to as the "sunshine vitamin," plays an important role in your health. It is the only vitamin that can be made by the human body from sunshine. Research is suggesting a strong link between vitamin D ...
One of the main functions of Vitamin D is calcium absorption. Even if you eat a lot of calcium in your diet, you still need Vitamin D to help your body absorb the minerals in calcium that help build strong teeth and bones.