According to the Vitamin D Council, a not-for-profit educational group founded by Dr. John Cannell, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, otherwise known as calcitriol, is an active form of vitamin D that is responsible for regulating calcium and phosphorus...
Growing awareness concerning vitamin D deficiency has resulted in more individuals taking measures to avoid it during the winter months. However, less individuals feel knowledgeable on the effects of the vitamin once inside the body, or how the...
Vitamin D is available in different forms called analogs. Two analogs include ergocalciferol, or vitamin D2, and calcitriol, the most active form of vitamin D. Both of these analogs are available as prescription medications. Ergocalciferol is...
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body. Ninety-nine percent of your calcium stores are sequestered in your bones and teeth, with only 1 percent found in your soft tissues and bloodstream. However, the small amount of calcium located...
Vitamin D3 is the type of vitamin D that is made in your body when you are exposed to sunlight. If you do not get sufficient exposure to sunlight, or, if you are vitamin D deficient, your doctor may recommend that you take vitamin D3 supplements....
Your liver is the largest internal organ you have, and it has hundreds of functions. The Merck Manual explains that vitamin D3 formed on your skin is a prohormone and the liver synthesizes it into calcidiol, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is the...
Hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which the parathyroid glands secrete too much parathyroid hormone, or PTH. The primary function of PTH is to maintain calcium levels in the blood. To do this, PTH stimulates bone resorption, thereby increasing...
Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is one of two forms of vitamin D used by humans. D3 is the form produced in the bodies of humans and animals with the help of exposure to ultraviolet (UVB) rays from the sun.
Calcium is a nutrient needed for strong bones, but your body cannot absorb it properly without the help of vitamin D. The combination of calcium and vitamin D helps strengthen bones and prevent osteoporosis. If your lifestyle and diet do not...
Vitamin D is different from vitamin D-3. Vitamin D itself is a category of fat-soluble vitamins found in a handful of foods including fish, eggs and organ meats. The type of vitamin D found in fish and eggs is called D-2, or ergocalciferol. Organ...
Ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol are two different forms of the nutrient vitamin D, which you rely on to maintain a variety of ongoing body functions. Vitamin D deficiencies can result in the onset of the serious bone-related disorders rickets...
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...
Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone with multiple physiologic roles in your body. Its effects on bone and calcium metabolism have been recognized for decades, and scientists are now beginning to unravel its actions in other tissues, according...
The skin condition psoriasis develops when keratinocytes, the primary type of skin cells, form too rapidly due to an underlying malfunction of the immune system. As the overabundant keratinocytes migrate to the skin's surface, they build up into...
Vitamin D, known as the "sunshine vitamin," is not a true vitamin because it can be manufactured in the body in the presence of sunlight. It was classified as a vitamin because researchers discovered a fat-soluble factor D in the diet, and...
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a progressive inflammatory disorder of your central nervous system. MS is believed to arise from an abnormally robust immune response that causes destruction of the protective insulation surrounding your nerve fibers....
Vitamin D3 is converted to a hormone called calcitriol by your body. As a hormone, it is involved with all body systems and via the bloodstream, carried to every cell. Calcitriol is vital to your bone formation, muscle tone, immune system, and...
Vitamins are chemicals essential for health that cannot be produced by your body but must be consumed in your food. Technically, vitamin D does not fit the definition, because your body makes it through a series of steps. One thing it does have in...
Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble vitamins, the two main forms of which are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. The former is formed by ultraviolet irradiation of ergosterol in plants while the latter is derived similarly by the action of ultraviolet...
Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem among those with chronic kidney disease. Vitamin D is a mineral that is found in plant and animal sources, dietary supplements, as well as synthesized from exposure of your skin to sunlight. Low levels of...
Prescription vitamin D differs from over-the-counter vitamin D in that prescription vitamin D is used for many conditions and not just as a dietary supplement. Prescription vitamin D is available in various forms and different formulations....
Hormones are a diverse group of molecules that regulate several functions in your body. Hormones can be divided into those that act outside target cells and those that enter the target cell. Vitamin D and aldosterone are hormones that belong to...
According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library, the primary function of the kidneys is to maintain the proper balance of water and minerals (electrolytes) in the body. The kidneys play an additional important role in helping to regulate...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is critical for the formation and maintenance of strong bones. One of the earliest associations that was made regarding vitamin D and overall health was that childhood rickets could be prevented by adding...
Intravenous vitamin D is given to treat patients with kidney disease and to people undergoing kidney dialysis. Kidney disease interferes with calcium absorption, which leads to low blood levels of calcium. Giving vitamin D helps increase calcium...
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient you need to maintain ideal health. You naturally create vitamin D when you are exposed to sunlight but can also get it through your diet or with dietary supplements. Vitamin D is an organic compound, and whether...
Vitamin D boosts calcium absorption and is necessary for bone growth and bone maintenance. Inadequate vitamin D intake can cause thin and brittle bones and it contributes to osteoporosis. Vitamin D also is important for neuromuscular and immune...
Many vitamins and minerals interact to promote health, including vitamin D and calcium. If vitamin D is low, calcium will not be elevated. The amount of vitamin D you have influences your body's absorption of calcium. Therefore, if your levels of...
Charged with the task of filtering approximately 200 quarts of fluid per day, the kidneys play an important role in keeping the right amount of minerals in the blood. As the kidneys filter blood, they work with hormones and enzymes to determine...
