Historically, Vitamin D has been considered crucial for regulating calcium levels in bones and teeth and thus keeping them healthy and strong. Nowadays, many scientists are convinced that the role of vitamin D is even more significant, especially when it comes to prevention of cardiovascular disease, type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, prostate or breast cancer, etc. Meanwhile, scarcity of vitamin D in human organisms might cause inter alia weakening of immune system and problems with brain functioning.

Simply speaking, vitamin D is synthesized by the skin from the sunrays it absorbs. This means that people staying indoors most of the day or wearing sun-reflecting clothes cannot have enough of this nutrient. Thus, a lot of people suffer from continuous or seasonal deficiency in vitamin D, for example up to a half of the USA population. Deficiency rates are higher in those who have dark skin as the melanin protecting their skin from sunburns several times slows vitamin D synthesis.

Where the vitamin D receptors are located? Actually, everywhere in our bodies from the intestinal tracts where it transfer calcium into blood and in bones to the kidneys, the brain, immune cells, breast tissue, the heart, the prostate, etc. Overall, around nine hundred different genes all over the organism are connected to the vitamin D receptor.

How to get vitamin D? Approximately, 90 percent of this nutrient is obtained from the sun; however there are few natural food sources such as cold-water fish, e.g. salmon and cod. Some food products are supplemented with vitamin D, e.g. milk. But still, this is not enough. It is suggested by researchers to take up to 1 000 international units of vitamin D daily with lower levels for people prone to/having kidney stones. Also, it is advised to get 10-15 min of sun exposure several times a week (but not during the mid-day hours of high sun radiation). The supply of vitamin D will be kept in fat and used up by human bodies in winter periods.

Research on the beneficial potential of vitamin D for health is ongoing, but its protective capacities are evident already now.