Vitamin D is more popularly known as the sunshine vitamin. However, there was a widespread debate on the 'vitamin' part of it, until it was finally established that it is a hormone and a vitamin! Do not be confused - here is the actual break-up. Vitamin D can be divided into 2 parts - D2 and D3. While D2 is a vitamin, D3 is the hormone.
Myths and facts about Vitamin D2 and D3
Before coming to the myths or facts, let the difference between the two 'parts' of the sunshine vitamin be known. Starting with the Vitamin D2, it is synthesized by plants, yeast and fungi; it is scientifically known as ergocalciferol. While Vitamin D3 is known as cholecalciferol. Both have calcium and iron ions in their composition and hence this name. Vitamin D2 can be fortified in our foods but Vitamin D3 cannot be. Interestingly, Vitamin D3 is the more important of the two. Vitamin D is also a fat soluble vitamin and hence is stored in the body's reserve fat (Vitamin D3).
Vitamins D3
Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 is the hormone which is synthesized by the human body on exposure to sunlight. It is the sun's electromagnetic energy that activates the vitamin within our body and helps maintain the body balance. It is extremely rare to be suffering from a vitamin D3 deficiency as almost all of us have been endowed with it generously which is activated only in the exposure to the sun. Since it cannot be had externally, the only way to produce more of the vitamin is to have foods that stimulate the production of the same.
The actual action and reaction that goes on inside the human is that when sunlight falls on the human skin, Vitamin D synthesizes to form Vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 has a lot of important functions in the human body. The most important of which is the regulation of calcium and phosphorous in our body. This directly relates to the maintenance of our bones and teeth. Milk is one important food that stimulates the fast synthesis of Vitamin D3 in the body, in the event of the skin exposed to the sun.
The benefits of the vitamin are many and it is essential for mainly bone growth and development. This is also one of the many reasons why doctors suggest mothers to have their children play in the sun for sometime, everyday - that increases the bone density and bone growth is also taken care of. Even during pregnancy, Vitamin D3 helps reduce depression and behavioral disorders in pregnant women amongst others. This is a multi-faceted Vitamin with many target areas.
Researchers have also found out that bone cancer or even problems associated with the bone marrow can be absolutely avoided and prevented in case an individual has sufficient exposure to sun; however, one must take note of the fact that too much exposure to the sun can be harmful for the skin and can lead to skin complications- thanks to the amounts of UV filtering out from the broken ozone layers!