5 Facts about Vitamin D – The Daily Bite of Knowledge

Vitamin D can either be ingested with food or formed in the skin. When exposed to sunlight (more precisely, UVB radiation), vitamin D is formed in the skin from the precursor 7-dehydrocholesterol. Cholesterol is also formed from the same precursor with the help of an enzyme.

For the immune system to function properly, vitamin D is necessary. Vitamin D enables the development of T-killer cells that fight invading pathogens.

That calcium is important for the bones is known to most. But it is only through the action of vitamin D and vitamin K that calcium gets to where it is supposed to go: Into the bones and not as plaque on teeth or as “calcification” in the blood vessels.

Vitamin D deficiency appears to be a risk factor for several autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes mellitus, Chron’ s disease, and multiple sclerosis. Whether a too low vitamin D level can really promote such diseases or whether it is rather the consequence is not yet completely clarified. However, a link between vitamin D deficiency and autoimmune diseases has been repeatedly found in studies.

Several factors are necessary for a child to be conceived from a sperm and an egg. One of the decisive factors is the motility of the sperm, i.e. their mobility. If the sperm do not advance, the journey to the egg takes so long that they die first. Good vitamin D supply appears to be important for sperm motility.