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Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is the natural form of vitamin D produced in the skin. It is an inactive hormone produced in the skin through ultraviolet irradiation of 7-dehydroxycholesterol. Upon enzymatic actions in the liver and kidney, it is converted to an active and functional form. Vitamin D3 is important for the body and is required throughout life. Besides its role in the formation of bone, vitamin D3 also plays a role in the prevention of some degenerative diseases. It is also an anti-aging and anti-cancer agent. Vitamin D3 aids in maintaining the plasma calcium concentration of the blood, which thus supersaturates phosphate and calcium levels in the plasma. If the levels of calcium and phosphate become less than saturated, the bone mineralization fails. This can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. There's a proven correlation between decreased production of vitamin D3 in the skin and increased incidence of breast and prostate cancer. Laboratory studies have shown that treatment with vitamin D3 analogs have anti-tumor activities against breast cancer. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. MS is prevalent in people residing at higher altitudes. Decreased sunlight and thus decreased vitamin D3 might be a contributing factor for MS, as there are insufficient levels of vitamin D in the MS population. The vitamin D hormone helps in regulation of immune cells such as T helper cells and dendritic cells. Studies on MS suggest an important role of vitamin D as an environmental factor in MS, suggesting a potential role of vitamin D in the prevention and/or treatment of MS. Vitamin D3 importance in immune system modulation and bone mineral metabolism suggests its role as an anti-aging medicine. 2011-12-17 |
