Vitamin D3

Vitamin D3 is a steroid-type vitamin that is involved in normal bone metabolism. Clinical studies, using a dosage range of 400-15,000 IU of vitamin D3, have shown significant improvement in bone mineral density and improvement in cortical integrity, especially in the femoral neck area.

Vitamin D3 exists in three types of different analogs in the human body. The activated form, called vitamin D3, is often more helpful for specific therapeutic purposes.

Vitamin D3 has far-reaching implications in the human body. There are several noted articles on the effects of vitamin D3, in its analog. It has been used in the adjunctive treatment and prevention of cancer, enhancement of cardiovascular function, treatment of coronary artery disease, treatment of digestive disorders (including Crohn's disease), improvement in physiologic function, treatment of diabetes, improvement in renal or kidney function, treatment of migraine headaches, improvement in weight gain in pregnancy (at a dose of 1,000 IU per day), treatment of psoriasis, both topically and orally, and several other areas of medical importance.

Vitamin D3 supplementation, given that it is a fat- or oil-based compound, can be stored in the body and, therefore, can cause toxicity at high levels. For that reason, it is important that vitamin D3 treatment, especially at higher doses, be regularly monitored.

For further questions, please call the Advanced Medical Center.

Dale Guyer, M.D.