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Vitamin D3
Vitamin D3 enhances calcium absorption and
retention, a key nutritional role in supporting healthy bones, and may play a
potential role in cardiovascular and colon health.
Vitamin D levels have been shown to decline with age, due primarily to a
reduction in either absorption or metabolism by the liver.
Decreased exposure to
sunlight, a vegetarian diet, or a low intake of vitamin D fortified foods also
play a role in inadequate vitamin D levels. Vitamin D promotes intestinal
calcium and phosphorous absorption and reduces urinary calcium loss, essential
mechanisms for maintaining proper calcium levels in the body and for healthy
bone composition.
Vitamin D
supplementation alone may also support bone health. Vitamin D may also provide
cardiovascular support for some individuals, which may be attributed to its
effect on calcium metabolism or possibly by helping to maintain healthy plasma renin function.
A role for vitamin D in supporting colon health by promoting
healthy cellular function has also been suggested.
Preliminary evidence suggests that vitamin D may
also play a role in maintaining healthy glucose metabolism, since vitamin D
receptors are present on the islet cells of the pancreas. |
