Vitamin D

Vitamin D is both a hormone and a fat-soluble vitamin. The major functions include:

• Necessary for absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus
• Needed for growth and development of the bones and teeth in children
• Protects against muscle weakness
• Regulation of heart beat
• Prevention and treatment of breast and colon cancer, osteoarthritis osteoporosis and hypocalcemia
• Enhances immunity
• Support thyroid function and normal blood clotting

Vitamin D absorbed from food needs conversion by the liver and kidney. We get it mainly from exposure to the sun¡¯s ultraviolet rays which transform a cholesterol compound in the skin into a precursor of vitamin D

Major Deficiency Syndromes:

• Rickets in children
• Osteomalacia in adults

Lesser Degree Deficiency Syndromes:

• Poor appetite
• Burning sensation in mouth and throat
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Visual disorders
• Weight loss