discover vitamin d and the foods in which it is found

Discover vitamin D & the foods containing it!

Discover what vitamins are, in particular vitamin D, and what is its use.

As we know by now, the segret for a healthy lifestyle is all in what we eat & in the activity we do. Thanks to our diet we could intake all the substances we require, in particular the vitamins, that have a fundamental role for our organism. Only a few vitamins are produced directly by our body like for example vitamin D, whilst the others are assumed through food. Until a few years ago it was believed that only 13 types of vitamins existed, but actually today we know that they are much more, infact only the group B vitamins are already 13. Vitamins act as catalyzers, that is they help enzymes produce chemical reactions that are indispensable for the normal metabolic process of the human body, some for example are antioxidant & therefore protect our organism from substances that are harmful for our cells such as the free radicals. Amongst te most important ones we find vitamin D that is indispensable:

for the absorption of calcium & its depositing
for the nervous system
for weight control
it stimulates fertility
it fights autoimmune diseases

When we have a shortage of vitamin D we could encounter muscle spasms, arrhythmia, muscle & bone pain, people over the age of 50, who has dark skin & who suffers from autoimmune diseases are more at risk to have a shortage of vitamin D.

There are 2 types of vitamin D existent:

D2 , of plant origin, also known as ERGOCALCIFEROL, which is synthesized by plants when exposed to sun rays (therefore it is obvious that fresh fruit & vegetables are of great help since they are rich in this vitamin)
D3, the calciferol, which is produced by humans & animals when the sun rays in particular the UVB hit a particular provitamin found in our skin.

The calciferol is absorbed at intestinal level but with the difference to other fat-soluble vitamins, it is not stored in our liver. About 80% of the quantity we require is obtained by the sun rays, whilst the other 20% from our diet. That is why it is important to have a good “sunbath” each day even just for 15 minutes, obviously with the adeguate protection & not in the peak hours, this way we will stock up with vitamin D & feel better immediately. Many people think that the sun does not affect our mood, actually also as studies show tha we tend to be more happy when its sunny also our organism feels immediately better when we intake vitamin D!

We find it particularly in the following foods: