Science with Mandy

You’ve likely heard about the importance of getting adequate Vitamin D from the sun. But do you understand the wide range of benefits that this compound has in the body? The benefits are plenty, ranging from improvements in bone health to reduced risks of various diseases.

Vitamin D, or calciferol, is a compound found in some foods, as well as generated by your body with UV exposure, like when you spend time outdoors in the sun. Some people take Vitamin D supplements if they have a deficiency, whether that be related to their diet, their geographical location (more northern locations receive less sunshine, on average), or other factors. The human body does not directly utilize Vitamin D, but undergoes multiple chemical reactions to produce the compounds calcidiol and calcitriol, shown below.

Adapted from source (2)

Vitamin D is important in facilitating the uptake of calcium and phosphate by your digestive tract, which are necessary for strong and healthy bones. According to the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, children with Vitamin D deficiencies are at an increased risk of developing bone issues, including rickets (1, 3; for more information about rickets, see source 4). There is also evidence suggesting a link between Vitamin D levels in the body and the risk of diseases like Multiple Sclerosis, diabetes, and other issues, which is likely regulated by autoimmunological functions associated with Vitamin D (5).

Vitamin D is a key compound in your body and helps maintain homeostasis in a variety of bodily systems. For more information about Vitamin D, see the sources below!

Worked Cited

(1) Vitamin D. (n.d.). National Institutes of Health – Office of Dietary Supplements. Retrieved August 1, 2023, from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

(2) Lange, T. S., Singh, R. K., Kim, K. K., Zou, Y., Kalkunte, S. S., Sholler, G. L., Swamy, N., & Brard, L. (2007). Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic properties of 3-bromoacetoxy calcidiol in high-risk neuroblastoma. Chemical Biology & Drug Design, 70(4), 302–310. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-0285.2007.00567.x

(3) Vitamin D for Good Bone Health. (n.d.). OrthoInfo; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Retrieved August 2, 2023, from https://www.orthoinfo.org/en/staying-healthy/vitamin-d-for-good-bone-health/

(4) Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, February 25). Rickets. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rickets/symptoms-causes/syc-20351943

(5) Sintzel, M. B., Rametta, M., & Reder, A. T. (2017). Vitamin d and multiple sclerosis: A comprehensive review. Neurology and Therapy, 7(1), 59–85. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40120-017-0086-4