About Vitamin D

Vitamin Dis a group of fat-soluble secosteroids. In humans, vitamin D is unique because it can be ingested as cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) or ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) and because the body can also synthesize it from cholesterol, when sun exposure is adequate (hence its nickname, the "sunshine vitamin").

Although vitamin D is commonly called a vitamin, it is not actually an essential dietary vitamin in the strict sense, as it can be synthesized in adequate amounts from cholesterol by all mammals. More and more researchers consider vitamin D to be one of the most important hormones with multiple functions.

In the liver, vitamin D is converted to calcidiol (25-hydroxycholecalciferol, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D, abbreviated as 25(OH)D) which is the specific vitamin D metabolite measured in serum to determine a person's vitamin D status. Part of the calcidiol is converted by the kidneys to calcitriol, the biologically active form of vitamin D. Calcitriol circulates as a hormone in the blood, regulating the concentration of calcium and phosphate in the bloodstream and promoting the healthy growth and remodeling of bone. Calcidiol is also converted to calcitriol outside of the kidneys for other purposes, such as the proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells; calcitriol also affects neuromuscular function and inflammation.

What Can We Do at Forever Ageless

Vitamin D is available over-the-counter. However, certain medical conditions may increase sensitivity to vitamin D and sometimes hypercalcemia may develop in response to a minimal increase in vitamin D supplementation. At the same time, some patients, even with excessive sun exposure, had a critically low level of vitamin D. As mentioned above, both an excess and a deficiency of vitamin D appear to cause abnormal functioning and premature aging. In order to achieve maximum benefits, the dose needs to be individually fine-tuned.