Vitamin D and Health

Abstract

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that can not be met with natııral fo o d s and require appropriate exposure to sun or fo o d fortifıcation. Vitamin D was identifıed long years ago on the basis o f its role in calcium metabolisim and bone health. Recently it is recognized that 1, 25 (OH)2 D3, biologically active fo rm o f vitamin D has exert effects in almost every tissue in the body, including stomach, pancreas, heart, brain, skin, bone, nıammary cells and activated T and B lymphocytes. Thereföre vitamin D deficiency because o f decreased exposure to sun have been reported to increase the risk ofma n y cancers, type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance related disease.