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Vitamin D-3 Cream
Vitamin D-3, also known as cholecalciferol, is the form of vitamin D that is produced by the action of sunlight (UVB ultraviolet radiation) on a cholesterol-like molecule present in the skin. Vitamin D contributes to normal bone growth and development by helping the bones absorb calcium. There are five major forms of Vitamin D, but only two that are commonly added to foods such as milk or used in other ways as vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D-2, which is the form usually present in fortified foods and nutritional supplements, and Vitamin D3. So, why does Vitamin D-3 Topical Cream use D-3, rather than D-2 or, for that matter, one of the other major forms of vitamin D? Because it is vitamin D-3 that is the specific form made in the human body. In fact, D-3 is the preferred form of vitamin D supplementation because it is more readily absorbed relative to D-2. Vitamin D-3 is produced by the reaction of UVB radiation from the sun with a type of cholesterol (7-dehydrocholesterol) that is present in the skin. Vitamin D-3 then is transported from the skin to the liver where it is metabolically converted to a storage form of vitamin D – calcidiol. Then, in the kidneys, calcidiol is converted to calcitriol (or, 1,25 dihydroxy vitamin D-3), a steroidal hormone that is the most biologically active form of vitamin D. It is the calcitriol (in concert with two other hormones, calcitonin and parathyroid hormone) that is responsible for maintaining appropriate levels of calcium and phosphorus levels in the bones and bloodstream, and for incorporating calcium phosphate into the bones (mineralization). The most recognized disease related to vitamin D deficiency (with or without concurrent calcium and/or phosphorus deficiency) is the bone disease of children known as rickets. While the classic symptom of rickets is bowed legs, other disease characteristics include bone pain, growth impairment, increased risk of bone fractures, dental problems and muscle weakness. While uncommon in industrialized nations, rickets is still prominent in developing countries. Fortunately, treatment can be as simple as increasing exposure to sunlight, providing fish oil (HealthProLab’s Cod Liver Oil Topical Cream for example), and drinking milk or infant formulas fortified with vitamin D. However, while sufficient vitamin D to prevent deficiency is present in infant formulas, infants that are exclusively breast-fed may derive specific benefit from the application of a supplement such as Vitamin D-3 Topical Cream. This is because of the combination of two factors: First, breast milk does not contain significant levels of the vitamin; secondly, direct exposure to sunlight is generally avoided in infants, in part because of the increased risk of skin cancer later in life from unprotected skin exposure to solar radiation. Thus, infants’ skin may not yet produce adequate levels of vitamin D-3. Vitamin D deficiency also can occur in adults who get too little sun exposure, such as persons living in high-latitude countries, people who work night shifts, individuals who need to avoid UVB exposure, or senior citizens confined indoors or in nursing homes. In addition, the role of the liver and kidneys in metabolizing vitamin D-3 to calcitriol means that vitamin D-3 supplementation may be necessary in persons with decreased liver or kidney function as they age, as well as those with chronic liver or kidney diseases that disrupt or limit vitamin D metabolism. Persons with intestinal absorption problems may also be at risk of vitamin D deficiency in spite of adequate dietary intake. The bone disease of adults resulting from vitamin D deficiency is osteomalacia, which is sometimes referred to as “the adult form of rickets”. This disease is characterized by a softening of the bones; symptoms include joint pain and a propensity for bone fractures, along with general weakness, lack of appetite and subsequent weight loss. Even in the absence of osteomalacia, persons with inadequate vitamin D intake may experience problems such as joint pain and loss of bone density combined with increased bone fragility (osteoporosis). In addition to its role in bone growth, development and maintenance, vitamin D-3 and the metabolites (hormones) derived from it have numerous other important physiological and therapeutic roles in the body. Vitamin D-3 (and its metabolites) can regulate genes involved in the growth and differentiation of a variety of cell types. As D-3 is produced in the skin, it can regulate skin cell proliferation. Bodo Lehmann of the Department of Dermatology, Carl Gustav Carus Medical School, Dresden (Germany) University of Technology writes, “...mounting evidence indicates that cutaneous vitamin D(3) synthesis is of high importance for the prevention of a broad variety of diseases, including various malignancies” (Photochemistry and Photobiology, volume 84, page 1246, 2005). Accordingly, topical preparations such as Vitamin D-3 Topical Cream have utility in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis Vitamin D-based topical treatments for psoriasis have been shown to yield equivalent or superior skin healing results in comparison to conventional therapies (tars, steroids, and dithranol) that have more side effects and are messy to apply. Another example of the actions of vitamin D in the body is the effect of the vitamin D-3 metabolite calcitriol in modulating the production of cytokines (immune signaling molecules) involved in cell-mediated immune responses. Also, John McGrath and colleagues at the Queensland Centre for Schizophrenia Research in Australia have been actively pursuing studies of the role of Vitamin D-3 in brain development. Vitamin D supplementation may have a prominent role in cancer prevention as well as in the treatment of numerous forms of cancer, including skin, lung, breast, ovarian, colon and prostate. For instance, recent epidemiological studies indicate that daily supplementation can markedly lower the risk of colon, breast and ovarian cancers. Therapeutically, it has been found that patients who receive chemotherapy or surgical treatment during the summer (i.e., have more sun exposure) have increased survival relative to patients treated in the winter. These data suggest that Vitamin D may contribute to patient survival. Furthermore, some vitamin D-3 metabolites have themselves been used as chemotherapeutic agents with antiproliferative effects against several types of cancer including breast, colon, and prostate tumors, leukemias and lymphomas. There are in fact many potential therapeutic benefits of vitamin D beyond those that have already been detailed. Some of the diseases for which vitamin D may have a beneficial role include autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis; diabetes; mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia and seasonal affective disorder; heart disease and high blood pressure; periodontal disease; inflammatory bowel disease; and various infectious diseases. While there are no overt links between vitamin D deficiency and autism in the scientific literature, it should be noted that there is a relationship between magnesium deficiency (which can be a factor in autism) and low production of the vitamin D-3 metabolite calcitriol. (Magnesium imbalances, whether deficiency or excess, can adversely affect calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism). Supplementation with vitamin D-3 may thus have a role in the treatment of autism and in other neuropsychiatric disorders that might involve magnesium deficits or imbalances. Because Vitamin D-3 Topical Cream is applied to the skin, the common problem of getting autistic children to ingest this substance is avoided. Vitamin D Trivia #1: While classified as a vitamin, vitamin D is technically not a true vitamin! “True” vitamins are essential nutritional supplements that cannot be produced by the body, whereas exposing skin to the sun’s ultraviolet rays readily yields vitamin D (D-3). This assignment of D to “vitamin” status occurred because the initial discovery of “vitamin” D back in the 1920s as a treatment for rickets was made before scientists realized the connection between sunlight and D-3 production in the skin, but the “vitamin” nomenclature has endured. #2: Vitamin D-2 (ergocalciferol), which is derived from ergosterol and manufactured by irradiating ergosterol-rich fungi, is actually superior to vitamin D-3 in certain animals such as chickens and rats. In humans however, vitamin D-2 is only about half as active in the body as vitamin D-3. So, if you happen to be a chicken or a rat, don’t use Vitamin D-3 Topical Cream. If you are a human, D-3 is the way to go! Ingredients: Deionized Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sepigel 305, Lecithin, Alcohol, Glycerin, Simugel 600, Sodium Hydroxymethylglycinate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Lemon Verbana Oil, Methylcobalamin 2 ounces For external use only. Store in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight. The statements herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
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