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This principle describes the reason why individuals with less pigment in their skin require much less time in the sunshine than someone who has darker pigment to make vitamin D. Increased skin pigmentation (darker skin) reduces the penetration of UVB rays required to begin the vitamin D activation process. One of these differences is due to skin pigmentation. Much of this stems from the fact that there is strong variation in the requirement for adequate vitamin D levels amongst people of different populations and ethnicities. Vitamin D is one of the most scientifically studied nutrients. In short, the answer to this question remains: it depends. From this step, calcidiol travels to the kidneys where it undergoes a final molecular change and becomes 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D 3 (1,25-(OH) 2D 3), or calcitriol, the most active form of vitamin D in the body. The liver also converts the D 2 form (plant derived) into calcidiol. The liver then converts vitamin D 3 into a form of D 3 known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3, or calcidiol. When exposed to adequate UVB sunlight, 7-dehydrocholesterol is converted into a molecule known as “pre-vitamin D 3,” which then undergoes a second molecular change and becomes vitamin D 3, also known as cholecalciferol. The outer layer of the skin, called the epidermis, produces a form of vitamin D called 7-dehydrocholesterol. Whether acquired from diet, sunlight, or supplements, vitamin D eventually reaches our bloodstream. This plant source of vitamin D is known as vitamin D 2, or ergocacliferol, which is an inactive form of vitamin D and may be taken as a supplement. Additionally, vitamin D may be acquired through the diet from a few plant sources. The majority of vitamin D is synthesized in our skin. The specific physiology of achieving active vitamin D consists of an intricate process involving various organs – namely the skin, liver, and kidneys. Its complex activation process is described below. Its basic structure comes from the cholesterol molecule, and it is categorized as a steroid molecule. Although we call it a vitamin, vitamin D acts much like a hormone in our bodies.
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Why? Much of this is because vitamin D is a unique vitamin that is supplied to our bodies by the sun’s ultraviolet type B (UVB) rays.
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Vitamin D, also known as “the sunshine vitamin,” is one of the most well-known nutrients.
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