Vitamin D - Benefits, Deficiency Symptoms And Food Sources

Alternative name - Sunshine vitamin, Calciferol

The very important vitamin which is very much required in our body is the vitamin D. it is also known as Calciferol very popularly around the world.

At the end of seventeenth probably in the year 1782 it was stated by the researchers that little consumption of the cod liver oil can cure rickets. In the year 1918 Mellanby a great researcher experimentally produced rickets in the animal in order to confirm this conception that the rickets are due to the deficiency of the vitamin D. then after number of other studies were carried out and at the end they came out with a decision that the synthesis of the vitamin D takes place in the human body in order to cut or eliminate the influence of ultra violet rays which come from the sun light. Thus it was proved that the amount of vitamin D which is synthesized in human body is much more in percentage in the months of summers and very low in the months of winters, autumn and spring.

Basically the vitamin D is divided into groups which are vitamin D2 which is known as Calciferol and the vitamin D3 which is popularly known as cholecalciferol. The vitamin D2 and D3 are very much required in the human body. The vitamin D2 or Calciferol is obtained from extracts of plants whereas the cholecalciferol is one of the naturally occurring vitamin D which is generally found in or obtained from the fish liver or cod liver oil and in fats of animals.

Sources of vitamin D

Vitamin is considered to be one of the unique vitamins because of the fact that it can be fetched from the sunlight as well as from the foods. Actually the vitamin D is synthesized by our body by the action of the ultra violet rays which come from the sunlight on the 7 dehydroxycholestrol which is basically present in the layers of our skin very large amounts. Vitamin D is found in the foods from the animal origin. Egg yolk, liver, cheese and butter and number of species of fish contains very good amount of the vitamin D. the cod liver oil or you can say fish liver oil are one of the richest sources of vitamin D.

Benefits of Vitamin D

Basically vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins required for the proper or healthy development of our bones and cartilage. The chief function of this vitamin is to keep right balance of the concentration of the phosphorus and calcium in the human body. This vitamin is really very important for the calcification process of the body. This process is really very important in the bodies of small children and babies whose bones have to develop or whose bones are developing at comparatively faster rate. It also helps in the development of their teeth. Stronger teeth offer great taste to your tongue. So somehow try to add few products which are good in the content of vitamin D.