17/09/2022
VITAMIN D IS A HORMONE
We’ve been calling it the wrong thing the whole time!
By definition, Vitamin D is actually a steroid hormone - how amazing!
Hormone D is synthesised by sunlight, and is then activated by the liver and kidneys into a form that acts through the endocrine system to regulate calcium metabolism
The cool thing is that researchers have found hormone D receptors outside the renal system - meaning that it has actions that spread beyond maintaining healthy bone density.
In fact, hormone D has been described as a ‘pluripotent’ hormone - meaning it has the ability to produce a variety of biological responses.
Hormone D, outside of calcium metabolism, acts on 5 main systems that comprise the “vitamin D endocrine system”
1. The innate immune system
2. The adaptive immune system
3. Insulin secretion by pancreatic beta-cells
4. Heart functioning and blood pressure regulation
5. Brain and foetal development
Hormone D comes from sunlight exposure, or dietary sources - in particular fatty fish and egg yolks.
Now, balancing sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels is definitely a thing - some folk just don’t like the sun, it burns - we get it!
There are sources that say light skinned people need 8 - 15 minutes exposure per day, and if you have darker skin you need a little longer.
In cases where sunlight exposure isn’t possible (eg risk of skin cancer, geographic limitations or you are a vampire 🧛♂️), it’s pretty important to make sure you get it from your diet, or supplementation.
In a beautiful way - we are just like plants!
Where plants trap sunlight in order to photosynthesise, Vitamin D is also trapped sunlight metabolised inside the human body...how poetic 🌞🌻
❤🌿
