Tag: Calcidiol

According to a 2014 review, an estimated 88.1% of the world's population had low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), underscoring a global vitamin D deficiency problem. This common deficiency often leads to confusion between the different forms of vitamin D, specifically whether 25-hydroxyvitamin D is the same as vitamin D3.

Over one billion people worldwide are estimated to have vitamin D deficiency, making it a major global health issue. So, where do you get vitamin D 25 hydroxy, the primary marker for your body's vitamin D status? The answer lies in understanding how your body processes the vitamin from various sources, not from consuming this specific compound directly.

According to research, a significant portion of the global population suffers from vitamin D insufficiency, making the activation pathway a vital health topic. The initial and critical step is to understand what converts vitamin D to 25 hydroxy, a process primarily carried out by the liver. This conversion is essential for vitamin D to become metabolically available to the body.

Contrary to what many believe, the liver does not produce the initial form of vitamin D. Instead, it plays a critical and necessary role in the subsequent processing and activation of this hormone after it is first created elsewhere or consumed.

Over a billion people worldwide have inadequate vitamin D levels, highlighting the importance of the activation process that begins in the liver. What form of vitamin D does the liver produce? It produces calcidiol, a precursor to the active vitamin, during the vital first stage of conversion.

The most accurate way to measure a person's overall vitamin D levels is by checking their blood concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, often colloquially referred to as vitamin D25. This crucial compound acts as the body's main reservoir for vitamin D, playing a vital indirect role in numerous bodily functions.

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D from sunlight, food, and supplements is biologically inactive and requires two key steps to be activated. The liver is the primary organ for the first of these steps, a vital process that modifies the vitamin for use by the body.

Over 40% of adults in the United States may have a vitamin D deficiency, a common issue for a nutrient that is not actually a vitamin, but a prohormone. Instead of being used directly, vitamin D must undergo a critical two-step conversion process within the body to become its active form, and two specific organs are responsible for activating vitamin D3.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the primary circulating form of vitamin D, 25(OH)D, has a half-life of approximately 15 days. This fat-soluble vitamin is not used immediately but is stored in the body for later use, raising the question: how long does vitamin D stay stored in your body? The answer is more complex than a single number, as it depends on various factors including body fat, genetics, and consistent intake.

According to the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D3 is primarily synthesized in human skin when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from sunlight. The entire process involves multiple steps beyond just sun exposure, transforming a cholesterol-based compound into a biologically active hormone. This article explains the fascinating journey of how your body produces vitamin D3.