You could say that vitamin D is the modern vitamin C, but although it is a vitamin, it is at least as much a hormone. Vitamins are nutrients, while hormones are involved in regulating our body. Vitamin D directly controls at least 500 of our genes and indirectly affects others. The beneficial effects of vitamin D were discovered by Edward Mellanby in 1919, when he was looking for a cure for rickets.
How much vitamin D does diet and sun exposure provide?
Our body is able to synthesize vitamin D, which requires a precursor that can be obtained mainly from fish and UV rays from the sun. Unfortunately, this is not an easy solution in all cases, because fish rich in vitamin D are often sold at exorbitant prices, and due to high solar radiation, we can safely spend little time in the sun. Not to mention we can’t always be out in the sun when we want. In our country, with an average, balanced diet, we can provide our body with 100-200 IU of vitamin D per day. The general consensus is that 5,000 IU of vitamin D per day is the optimal daily intake. In case of illness, this dose may be worth increasing to 10,000 IU, but in the asymptomatic period this amount is already too high if taken permanently.
What is the role of vitamin D in the body?
Vitamin D plays an important role in many physiological processes, it is necessary for bone formation and bone metabolism, as well as for regulating calcium metabolism, it affects the functioning of the immune system, and is also of key importance in cellular metabolism processes.
Better immunity thanks to vitamin D3.
Vitamin D is necessary for the activation of T lymphocytes, the body’s first defenders. T lymphocytes search for and then destroy viruses and bacteria that appear in our body. However, this process only works properly in the presence of adequate amounts of vitamin D, so in the case of vitamin D deficiency, the protection of the immune system may be reduced.
Does vitamin D protect against the Covid-19 coronavirus?
Vitamin D is also of paramount importance in defending against Covid-19. It cannot be clearly stated that vitamin D levels affect the likelihood of contracting Covid-19, however, several studies conducted among people infected with Covid-19 indicate that a significant percentage of hospitalized patients with severe symptoms (75-80%) were also vitamin D2 deficient. . The immune system of coronavirus patients requiring hospital treatment is strengthened with drugs containing the active form of vitamin D, aimed at eliminating vitamin D deficiency, which can help the body fight the infection faster, thereby reducing the severity of symptoms caused by the disease, as well as mortality.
Tablets, capsules or drops, which vitamin D3 should you choose?
Currently, there is a very large selection of products with vitamin D on the market. We can choose from vitamin D3 tablets, capsules or drops. Available preparations differ in dose, composition, price and quality. So what should you consider when choosing a product with vitamin D? Should I choose a drug or should I choose a good dietary supplement? We give you a hint.
First of all, it is worth paying attention to the composition. In the case of drops and capsules, it should be very simple vitamin D and natural flavor in the case of drops and vitamin D, natural oil and gelatin and glycerol in the case of the capsule. Due to their structure, vitamin D tablets will contain more excipients.
GMP and cGMP standards, or how to verify the quality of products with vitamin D.
The second issue often emphasized in advertisements is the distinction between a drug or a dietary supplement. Contrary to popular belief, a vitamin D drug does not necessarily have to be better than a supplement and vice versa. It all depends on the production quality standard. Generally, all drugs meet the standards GMPbut also some supplements. Unfortunately, the GMP standard itself does not guarantee the highest quality and safety of a drug or supplement. Most of us remember mass withdrawals of medicines from the market due to contamination of active substances imported from China. This is due to the fact that the GMP standard does not require testing of each batch of active substance and each batch of finished medicine or dietary supplement. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to preparations manufactured to the latest standards cGMPwhich requires continuous control of both the active substance – vitamin D and the finished product. If we expect our vitamin D to be of the highest quality, we should choose one that meets the latest cGMP standard.
D-drops Calivita – natural vitamin D3 in drops for the whole family
It is true that vitamin D is also synthesized naturally in the body under the influence of sunlight, but due to harmful UV rays and the reduced number of hours of sunlight in winter, the vitamin D obtained in this way is insufficient and supplementation through dietary supplements is necessary!
