Vitamin D

The Sunshine Vitamin d

Vitamin D is such a fireball, the D should stand for dynamo.

As the key to building strong bones and a major anti-cancer nutrient for cancers like breast cancer and skin cancer. It is known to have a strong role in fighting depression and controlling the symptoms of arthritis.
Vitamin d encourages the normal growth and development of bones and teeth and other structures when calcium is present. It promotes the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from food, as well as improving the reabsorption of phosphorus in the kidneys. 
The procedures behind all of these feats is the fact that Vitamin d encourages cells to pursue their true functionality in the body. Like a traffic controller, it points developing cells in the right pathway, toward their proper mature form.  For example, sufferers of psoriasis(flaking skin) have their cells growth rate reduced, where they are normally produced at a rate nearly  ten times faster than normal people.

Recent Discoveries with Vit d

Some recent exciting research has found that vit D almost may help in the prevention of the disease type 1 diabetes. Vit D is needed for insulin production in islet cells in the pancreas.
There are two main forms of d vitamin, with equal value to humans; d2 and d3.
Human skin normally contains a sterol compound known as cholesterol. There is now definite evidence that cholesterol can be changed by a series of complex chemical reactions into another compound, 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is converted into Vitamins D3.

Low Vitamin D Levels

With the recent obsession with the fear of skin cancer and the very short daylight hours in the northern hemisphere many adults are actually low in vit d.
Since our body’s process vit D from sunlight, some people argue that we should get more sun exposure and not wear sunscreen. This is not always possible and so supplements are often an alternative remedy for this shortfall of sunlight.

Rickets

Rickets may develop even with a diet that contains adequate amounts of necessary minerals. It is characterized by failure of bony materials to form normally and replace the cartilage in young bone.  An excess of poorly ossified cartilage develops, which results in bowed legs, enlargement of the joints, abnormally flattened bones, irregularly formed ribs etc.

Osteoporosis

With an aging population the frequency of this disorder is increasing. It is a serious condition and long term low levels of this vitamin can lead to what we could call Vitamin D Osteoporosis. Bones can weaken so much that they are very likely to fracture. Hip, wrist and spinal bone fractures are the most common and very serious injuries can result from them. Hip fractures lead to the death of many elderly women.

Treatment

Exposure to the sun in the early and late hours of the day will go some way towards boosting Vitamin d Deficiency but for most people supplements will be necessary