Source Naturals Vitamin D-3 5000 IU 240 Capsules

Vitamin D3
5,000 I.U. - 240 Capsules

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is often referred to as the sunshine vitamin because it is formed in the body by the action of the sun's ultraviolet rays on the skin.

What does Vitamin D do?
Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in nutrition by facilitating the absorption of calcium, thereby helping to support healthy and strong bones. It also is an important nutrient for promoting bone mineralization in concert with a number of other vitamins, minerals, and hormones.

Why should I take Vitamin D?
Many people do not produce enough vitamin D nor do they get enough from food. Vitamin D deficiency can especially be a problem for older people, those who are homebound or bed-ridden, or people who may not be exposed to sunshine on a regular basis. Also, older people's bodies do not convert sunlight into Vitamin D as well as when younger.

Cold and Flu Fighter
The flu is a seasonal illness with outbreaks increasing in winter and decreasing in summer.In 1981 British scientist Edgar Hope-Simpson identified summer light as a protector against flu infection. Later, John Cannell advanced this theory and realized that summer sunlight increases Vitamin D levels. In late winter as people become deficient, infections increase. It is known that Vitamin D is necessary to make cathelicidin, an infection-fighting immune compound. New guidelines now recommend taking 3,000 to 5,000  to help get body levels up to where they can help fight, and even prevent, colds and flu.

Toxic?

Vitamin D was once thought to be toxic. Current research says that this is not true. Even doses as high as 10,000 IU per day are considered safe.

Vitamin D helps the body regulate the transport of calcium from the digestive system, through the bloodstream and to the bone. It also assists in the retention of calcium & phosphorus.

A flurry of research indicating that Vitamin D may have an array of health benefits has reignited an intense debate over whether federal guidelines for D are outdated, thus leaving millions unnecessarily vulnerable to cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other ailments, according to a report by Rob Stein of the Washington Post.

The studies have produced evidence that low levels of Vitamin D make men more likely to have heart attacks, breast and colon cancer victims less likely to survive, kidney disease victims more likely to die, and children more likely to develop diabetes. Two other studies suggested that higher D levels reduce the risk of dying prematurely from any health cause.

Studies have found that deficiencies are common, with perhaps half of adults and children having what some consider inadequate levels.* 

Sunlight is a source of life on Earth, but we may not be aware of all the ways it benefits us. Our bodies manufacture vitamin D-3 when the skin is exposed to UV radiation from sunlight, but the ability to do so decreases as we age. Vitamin D-3 maintains healthy calcium and phosphorus levels in the body for strong bones, it helps maintain muscle strength in older adults, and it also plays an active role in a healthy immune response. Vitamin D-3 (cholecalciferol) is the optimal form of vitamin D. It is the form of vitamin D that the body manufactures in sunlight, and the form most efficient for the body's needs.