Vitamin D Functions - What Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body? Functions Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D Function 

What Does Vitamin D Do in Your Body?

Quickly find the information you're looking for:

Vitamin D Functions - The question ‘What does Vitamin D do’ is still an issue for researchers, because all the facts about Vitamin D are not yet firmly established.

Vitamin D Function

There is more than one function of Vitamin D to be aware of.

Anyway, the first thing to know about what Vitamin D does in the human body is….

Functions Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D Production and Metabolism -

Sunshine Vitamin D has got its name for a specific reason. There is UV-B light from the sun needed to trigger synthesis of Vitamin D in skin.

The product of that process is a nature made Vitamin D, also called Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol.

As the name indicates, Vitamin D3 is related to cholesterol. In fact, without cholesterol, the body wouldn't be able to synthesize any Vitamin D3. 

However, Vitamin D doesn’t have any impact on your body unless it becomes activated.

WHAT DOES VITAMIN D DO IN YOUR BODY AFTER IT HAS BECOME AN ACTIVATED VITAMIN D?

Vitamin D, Calcium and Phosphorus

The activated form of Vitamin D accomplishes many vital tasks in the body. The most significant function of Vitamin D is perhaps the regulation of body’s levels of calcium and phosphorus.

What happens if your body has a low Vitamin D Level?

Well, you can eat huge quantities of foods rich in calcium and phosphorus or consume the best available supplements but it wouldn't make any difference without an adequate participation of Vitamin D.  

You just wouldn't absorb and use your calcium and phosphor properly.

What Does Vitamin D Do for the Immune System?

Mother Nature has provided us all with an innate immunity. 

Our unhealthy habits and polluted living environment often confront the body with excessive demands, which may become too big a challenge to our immune system.

As a result, we may get sick.

Fortunately, the situation is not hopeless. If you have immune disorders, Vitamin D can help you greatly enhance your immune system.

Vitamin D and Cancer – What Does Vitamin D Do to Prevent Cancer

One of the most promising benefits of Vitamin D is its ability to regulate cell growth.

If you have a proper level of Vitamin D, you have a much lower risk of developing cancer.

Studies show that Activated Vitamin D slows the growth of cancer cells.

Vitamin D may not only help in cancer prevention but also supports a body to actively fight certain types of cancer.

This Function Of Vitamin D can help reverse cancer and extend many human lives.

Vitamin D and Diabetes – Does Vitamin D Affect Insulin Secretion and Blood Sugar?

Approximately 17 million Americans have diabetes.

Unfortunately, as many as one-half of them are unaware they have this condition until it’s being revealed in relation to their other health problems.

Vitamin D has the ability to increase the insulin production. This Vitamin D Function  helps to prevent the development of diabetes.

What Does Vitamin D Do for Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health

Could vitamin D lower high blood pressure? Some research suggests that, indeed, availability of Vitamin D may be one of the factors affecting blood pressure.

However, this Vitamin D Function isn’t firmly proved yet.

Heart and cardiovascular health depends more on Vitamin D, than you can even believe.

Heart disease tends to be a silently progressing condition. A normal Vitamin D Level in blood helps prevent it.

Vitamin D supports heart health in several ways, lowering the risk of heart attack and significantly reducing mortality from heart disease.

Vitamin D Function

WHAT ELSE CAN VITAMIN D DO FOR US?

Although maintaining healthy levels of calcium and phosphorus in blood is the major Vitamin D Function, there are number of other things to mention.

Studies have shown various Benefits Of Vitamin D with regard to mental health, depression, multiple sclerosis, osteomalacia, psoriasis, arthritis, weight management, hair loss, and more.

Vitamin D-Binding Protein

Quickly find the information you're looking for:

Vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) is an organic compound related to vitamin D as its name suggests.

This organic compound may remain a bit mysterious if you don´t know what it does in your body. 

So, here we are with one more key fact about Vitamin D that you may want to know...

WHAT MOVES THE VITAMIN D AROUND IN YOUR BODY?

Here’s how it works…

In the human blood, there is a special protein (known as Vitamin D-binding protein, or DBP) that carries Vitamin D throughout the body.

Vitamin D-binding protein (DBP)

This Vitamin D carrier takes care of the use and storage of Vitamin D in your body. How?

DBP makes the necessary amount of Vitamin D available for body's tissues.

But what about the rest of the vitamin D?

DBP keeps the rest for later use. This way it also helps to prevent Vitamin D excess that may lead to toxic levels of Vitamin D. 

Wisely  organized, isn’t it?  DBP is invaluable by preventing any Vitamin D poisoning in your body.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN D3 AND D2 WITH REGARD TO DBP?

Here is what the latest Vitamin D research found out when examining the potency of both Forms Of Vitamin D.

Initially, right after administering D2 and D3 to the test persons, both forms of vitamin D generated an equal increase in 25 hydroxy Vitamin D Level (25 OH vitamin D in blood).

That means, in the first phase of Vitamin D metabolism, both vitamin D2 and D3 were "soaked up" by human body to the same extent.

But from there D2 and D3 worked quite differently.

After some time, the 25 OH Vitamin D cut rapidly down in the blood serum of those test persons, who had consumed vitamin D2.

In 14 days the 25 hydroxy Vitamin D Level was back to the baseline.

Others, who received Vitamin D3, showed the continuous rise of their 25 hydroxy Vitamin D Levels and maintained it.

How Does Vitamin D Function in Its Various Roles?

In general, Vitamin D Functions like an entire D-family, which consists of structurally similar chemicals and their metabolites.

So when we talk about Vitamin D, we refer to the Vitamin D as a common name, in most cases.

VITAMIN D "FAMILY"

The family of Vitamin D includes substances, such as...

• Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3),
• Calcidol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol),
• Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol),
• Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2).

These are the most important members of the Vitamin D family to be aware of.

Complicated?

Well, these are just the chemical names in the Vitamin D family.  It’s good to know these names since they are quite often used when referred to Vitamin D.

Cholecalciferol -

As you already know, 

cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) is synthesized in the skin by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It’s also found in some foods.

Ergocalciferol -

Ergocalciferol (Vitamin D2) is produced by ultraviolet irradiation of a provitamin D sterol (ergosterol). Ergosterol can be found in vegetables.

So we can’t get ergocalciferol directly from the sun like cholecalciferol, but only from vegetables or D2 supplements.

Metabolism of Calciferols -

Vitamin D Functions to its full potential only after it has been activated. This happens in the process of Vitamin D metabolism.

Both calciferols are metabolized in the liver to calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol), which is then turned to calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) in a kidney or other organs.

INACTIVE FORM OF VITAMIN D -

At the beginning, when Vitamin D enters your body by effect of sunlight or taken as a dietary supplement, it is completely passive. 

Although we call it vitamin, it is actually a prohormone. Called also prehormone.

What is Prohormone?

It’s a hormone pre-protein (a protein precursor). So, initially Vitamin D Functions as a precursor of a hormone.

It is a steroid (a compound that chemically resembles cholesterol), which is converted to an active hormone by metabolism. 

Vitamin D2 and D3 are the inactive Forms Of Vitamin D.

ACTIVATED FORM OF VITAMIN D -

As mentioned before, the Vitamin D we get from the sun or supplements, does not function as an active substance.  It’s not in the role to give us the health Benefits Of Vitamin D. 

Vitamin D starts to function actively only when it takes the form of calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol).

Calcitriol is a Steroid Hormone. Calcitriol is not a vitamin but the actual steroid hormone. What’s that?

A steroid hormone is a ductless gland secretion that contains the basic steroid nucleus in its chemical formula.

Functions of Calcitriol -

Vitamin D in the form of calcitriol has more than one function. It regulates how your body uses calcium and phosphorus.

According to researchers, calcitriol also has the ability to control the expression of more than 500 genes. 

Calcitriol binds to the Vitamin D receptor (VDR) and attaches to the DNA.

Genes produce proteins which perform many important functions in the body: help at calcium metabolism, keep cells free from cancer development, maintain the proper function of immune system, promote insulin secretion.

WHAT ABOUT CALCIDOL?

Well, calcidol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol) is the metabolite of Vitamin D, which function is to be a stepping stone between calciferol (D2 or D3) and the Activated Vitamin D (calcitriol).

Calcidiol is made in the liver. 

It’s important to remember that the role of calcidiol is to store Vitamin D in the body.

If you want to know how much Vitamin D is circulating in your blood, you need to check your 25 hydroxy Vitamin D Level (calcidiol level).

In other words, calcidiol is the indicator of the Vitamin D status in your body.

VITAMIN D IN THE FORM OF SUPPLEMENTS -

Vitamin D in the form of supplements can be found in two categories...

1.    Vitamin D supplements as dietary supplements, containing either D2 or D3.

2.    Vitamin D fortified foods.

Both are necessary and useful in order to prevent Vitamin D Deficiency, combined with Vitamin D Sunlight if possible.

PRESCRIPTION FORMS OF VITAMIN D -

Prescription Vitamin D is an artificially produced alternative to natural Vitamin D metabolites, such as calcitriol. 

These synthetic compounds are readily absorbed from the small intestine if fat absorption and biliary excretion are normal.

Therefore, they are useful in the presence of certain diseases that affect Vitamin D Absorption.

Prescription Forms Of Vitamin D are medicinal drugs you should only take under your doctor's supervision, of course.

Could Prescription Vitamin D Increase Your Low Vitamin D Level?

No.

If you have been diagnosed with Vitamin D Deficiency, you should take Vitamin D supplements. Supplements contain Vitamin D in the proper form.

Supplemental Vitamin D does function in a way that makes your low Vitamin D Level up to normal again.

WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?

The researchers concluded that the affinity of the vitamin D-binding protein for D2 and D3 is clearly different.

What you need to know is that Vitamin D3 "agrees" with your body much better than Vitamin D2.

D3 cooperates with your body's cells and tissues in a natural way.

That’s why it works well.