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Vitamin D3 400IU Capsules
Vitamin D3, the sunlight vitamin, helps the body to absorb and utilise the calcium. Bioconcepts Vitamin D 400IU not only helps maintain healthy teeth and bones but can also helps reduce the risk of diabetes, treat weak bones in osteoporosis sufferers and recent studies have also shown that it may help lower the risk of developing cancer, compared to people with lower levels of Vitamin D.
Size : 90 Capsules
Vitamin D3 400iu helps the body maintain healthy bones and teeth
- Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth
- Promotes healthy muscle function
- Helps maintain a healthy immune system
- May help to promote calcium absorption
- May help reduce the risk of diabetes
- Helps treat weak bones (osteoporosis)
- May help reduce risk of developing some cancers
What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a steroid vitamin, a group of fat-soluble pro-hormones, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium which is vital for building strong bones. Vitamin D is obtained from sun exposure, and is commonly known as the sunshine vitamin. Unfortunately due to lifestyle changes many do not reach the recommend levels of sun exposes, reducing the amount of Vitamin D in the body. Food and vitamin supplement are now commonly used to help the body to absorb and utilise the calcium it needs.About 99% of the calcium in the body is in the bones and teeth and 1% is in the blood, muscles, and other soft tissues (such as nerves, organs, etc.) Vitamin D is also important for hormone regulation, inflammation reduction, and the optimal functioning of the nervous system and the immune system.
Why Take Vitamin D?
If your body cannot produce enough vitamin D because of insufficient sunlight exposure you will need to obtain it from foods and perhaps supplements. Experts say that people with a high risk of vitamin D deficiency should consume 400 IU of vitamin D each day so that there is a good level of 25-hydroxy in the bloodstream.Take Vitamin D if you want to:
- Aid absorption of calcium
- Aid bone and teeth structure
- Help regulate your immune system, cell growth and nerve transmission
- Help treat weak bones
How does Vitamin D work? The science behind the secret...
Vitamin D-3 is a fat-soluble vitamin that is very restricted in food sources in the diet. Humans possess the ability to make D-3, (cholecalciferol) when skin is exposed to ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays. Getting limited sun exposure or wearing sunscreen affects how much vitamin D3 your body produces.Vitamin D3 must be activated in the body so that it canfunction. After consuming it or making it through your skin, your liver and kidneys put the inactive form of D3 through a chain of biochemical reactions. Inactive vitamin D, including D-3, is converted into 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the most important form of vitamin D in your body.
The body cannot utilise calcium efficiently if it does not have ample amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D comes in two forms: vitamin D-3 and vitamin D-2, though, a vitamin D deficiency can be treated with either form of this vitamin. As a result, getting enough vitamin D-3 helps you avoid a deficiency in both calcium and vitamin D.
Who is at risk of vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is far more common than once believed. The suns' rays are the primary source of vitamin D, and lifestyle changes have made it difficult for many people to get enough time in the sun. Reasons for limited sun exposure include working indoors, as well as using sunscreen and avoiding the sun to prevent skin cancer.
Untreated, Vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious complications, such as bone fractures and bone deformities. Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to a variety of serious conditions, such as certain cancers and cardiovascular disease.
The groups of people who may be at risk of vitamin D deficiency include:
- Naturally dark skinned people - who need more UV exposure to produce adequate levels of vitamin D as the pigment in their skin reduces UV penetration
- Over 60'S - At the age of 60 the body's ability to absorb minerals deteriorates buy 25%. This can lead to a weaker bone structure and immune system
- People who cover their skin for religious or cultural reasons
- The elderly and people who are housebound or in institutional care
- Babies and infants of vitamin D deficient mothers, especially breastfed babies
- Children - Bones are growing at their fastest at this stage, so they need to consume around 400 IU to maintain healthy bone growth
- Vitamin D also helps treat weak bones and prevents brittle bones in cases of osteoporosis
- Teens - Bones stop growing at the age of 20 so it's important to provide the body with enough vitamin D to support new tissues formation.
Is Vitamin D3 right for me?
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to serious health implications. By taking a vitamin D3 supplement daily, you can reduce the risk of developing bone related illnesses, help your body maintain strong, healthy bones and teeth and help promote healthy muscle function, which alongside healthy strong bones, helps support the body's musculoskeletal system.
Recent Studies
Vitamin D may help reduce risk of developing some cancers
Researchers Gorham et al, have discovered that different types of malignant tumours contain vitamin D receptors, resulting in the theory that a vitamin D deficiency may play a part of some cancers. In the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology" in 2005, the study titled 'Vitamin D and prevention of colorectal cancer' researchersdiscovered a link between colorectal cancer risk and vitamin D deficiency, either resulting from inadequate exposure to the sun or a low dietary intake. Garland concluded that daily intake of 1,000 IU of vitamin D reduced this risk by 50%.Vitamin D deficiency also appears to affect breast cancer risk. A study conducted by a Harvard School of Public Health team followed more than 88,000 women for 16 years and discovered that high intake levels of vitamin D decreased breast cancer risk in premenopausal women. Results appear in the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" in 2002. In a study titled 'Vitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis'published in 2007 in the "Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology," researchers Gorham et al concluded that 2,000 IU of vitamin D-3 daily and moderate exposure to sun cut breast cancer risk by 50%.
Vitamin D deficiency is a major unrecognised problem
Holick MF, Journal Cellular Biochemistry, 2003 Feb 1;88(2):296-307; Vitamin D: A millenium perspective.Vitamin D is one of the oldest hormones that have been made in the earliest life forms for over 750 million years. Phytoplankton, zooplankton, and most plants and animals that are exposed to sunlight have the capacity to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is critically important for the development, growth, and maintenance of a healthy skeleton from birth until death. The major function of vitamin D is to maintain calcium homeostasis. It accomplishes this by increasing the efficiency of the intestine to absorb dietary calcium. When there is inadequate calcium in the diet to satisfy the body's calcium requirement, vitamin D communicates to the osteoblasts that signal osteoclast precursors to mature and dissolve the calcium stored in the bone.
Vitamin D deficiency is a major unrecognised health problem. Not only does it cause rickets in children, osteomalacia and osteoporosis in adults, but may have long lasting effects. Chronic vitamin D deficiency may have serious adverse consequences, including increased risk of hypertension, multiple sclerosis, cancers of the colon, prostate, breast
In The Press
Not enough sunshine is putting millions of us at risk from diabetes
Health Article: Daily Mail:
If the link is fully established between Vitamin D and diabetes, those at risk could take dietary supplements to reduce the chance of getting the disease. A lack of sunshine - and a lack of vitamin D - is estimated to cause 600,000 cases of cancer each year.
Sunshine vitamin 'protects the heart as well as bones,' researchers find
Health Article: Daily Mail:
Researchers found those with low blood levels of the sunshine vitamin were twice as likely to suffer heart failure, a heart attack or a stroke than those with higher levels.
The risk was still 62 per cent after adjusting for well-established risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Dr Thomas Wang, who led the research, said: "Our data raise the possibility that treating vitamin D deficiency, via supplementation or lifestyle measures, could reduce cardiovascular risk."
The five-year study, published in the journal Circulation, involved 1,700 sons and daughters of the participants in the Framingham Heart Study, a major investigation of heart disease risk factors launched in 1948.
Most of the body's supply is provided by sunlight on the skin. The rest comes from foods such as fish, eggs and fortified milk and breakfast cereals.
The mechanism by which it works is only partly understood, but Vitamin D has been shown to slow the rate of growth of cancer cells and may boost the function of blood vessels or the immune system.
Although most of those living in northern Europe are not sufficiently lacking in vitamin D to be classified as deficient, some experts believe blood levels should be higher to optimise health.
Only 10 per cent of the study sample had levels considered ideal even for bone health.
A spokesman for the Health Supplements Information Service said: "Dietary surveys show that large numbers of people in Northern climates, including Britain, have blood levels of vitamin D which are too low.
"Diet does not provide enough vitamin D and the need for each of us to expose our skin to sunlight for short periods of time to make it runs contrary to advice to avoid sunbathing to the reduce risk of skin cancer.
"Confusing messages, combined with seasonal variation in the strength of UV radiation, geographic-latitude, time of day, cloud cover and use of sunscreen merge to hamper reliable vitamin D synthesis."
4.7 / 5
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5/ 5
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1
Karen
March 21, 2012
Good value and the best way of assimilating vitamin D. ..
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Frank
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2
Frank
February 23, 2012
Excellent value for money. Bought these on behalf of my mother now 91 who does'nt get out in the Sun much to absorb her sunlight to make up her vitaminD . Have proved to be very helpful. ..
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Denise
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3
Denise
December 2, 2011
After a visit to my consultant at the local hospital was advised to buy and take this product , have only been taking this for a few weeks but have been told my vitamin D level is now holding correctly ..
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