Asked by
shiv awasthi
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9:24 PM on October 13, 2008
Meera Jadhav's Answer
Hi, Vitamin D is important in many ways. Vitamin D helps maintain bone density, healthy bone growth and helps maintain the normal functioning of the nervous system. It is crucially important in aiding the body’s absorption of calcium. Without sufficient vitamin D, calcium supplements are almost useless. Vitamin D insufficiency is a contributing factor of osteoporosis, as calcium absorption cannot be maximized. It has also been found that having a higher intake of vitamin D can help lower certain cancer risks, such as breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. Vitamin D is unique because it is derived both from sunlight and foods.
• Sunlight: Vitamin D is synthesized by the body by the action of UV rays of sunlight of 7 dehydrocholesterol, which is stored in large abundance in the skin.
• Foods: Vitamin occurs by only in the foods of animal origin. Liver, egg yolk, butter and cheese and some species of fish contain useful amounts. Fish liver oils, although not considered to be a food, are the richest sources of Vitamin D.
• Other sources of vitamin D are foods artificially fortified with vitamin D, such as milk, margarine, vanaspathi and infant foods.
Answered at
10:40 PM on October 16, 2008
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