Vitamin D is a vitamin that can be found in small amounts in fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines, trout, salmon and tuna. Often, it’s 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. Primary sources of vitamin D include sunlight exposure, canned fish, fortified milk or orange juice, vitamin supplements, egg yolks and cereal.
Essentially, Vitamin D is used for preventing and treating rickets – a disease that is caused by not having enough vitamin D, otherwise known as vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is also used for treating weak bones or osteoporosis, bone pain, bone loss in people with a condition called hyperparathyroidism, and an inherited disease osteogenesis imperfecta where the bones are especially brittle and easily broken. It is also used for preventing falls and fractures in people at risk for osteoporosis, and preventing low calcium and bone loss in people with who are prone to kidney failure.
Other benefits the Vitamin D has lies on its utilization to medicate the heart and blood vessel-related conditions including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is also used for diabetes, obesity, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD),asthma, bronchitis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and tooth and gum disease. Some people use vitamin D for skin conditions including vitiligo, scleroderma, psoriasis, actinic keratosis, and lupus vulgaris. It is also used for boosting the immune system, preventing autoimmune diseases, and preventing cancer.
Make sure that you have an adequate amount of Vitamin D, by getting your blood levels checked.
