This week I am going to discuss Vitamin D. This fat soluble compound exists in many forms however the form utilized primarily by humans is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol).

Vitamin D is a regulator of calcium and phosphorus status; both of which are vital for normal functioning of the nervous system, as well as for bone growth and density. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autism and asthma, among other conditions (see below for more information). Evidence has shown that vitamin D is not stored in our bodies until a level of 50ng/ml is reached, which is why at Kingsway we recommend that patients use a starting dose of 50,000IU daily for three days, and then drop back to a maintenance dose of 4000-5000IU daily.

Animals (including humans) convert cholesterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is a precursor to vitamin D3. Exposure to ultra violet light in sunlight (UVB radiation) converts 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin to vitamin D3. In fact, adequate exposure to sunlight can eliminate the requirement for vitamin D in the diet, making it only “conditionally essential.” Vitamin D3 is not itself biologically active, but must be modified by the body to have any physiological effects.

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This week I am going to discuss Vitamin A; an antioxidant and general immune enhancer (specific against measles), which is commonly known as the “anti-infective vitamin.”

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