During conversation yesterday an interesting question arose; Why put Vitamin D in milk instead of other foods? If Vitamin D is added as a dietary supplement than why put it in foods that are more commonly consumed, like hamburger buns or water.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat soluble prohormone. It is not really a vitamin for it is generated within the body, but it is only known to be derived with the presence of a form a UV light.  Prohormones have no hormonal effect in themselves but will be converted by the body into an active hormone. In the case of Vitamin D, it is converted into active 1,25-D in the second of two hydroxylations in the body, first in the liver and than in the kidney. Vitamin D₃, one of the two major forms of Vitamin D, is produced in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet B radiation in sunlight.

Vitamin D in Humans

Vitamin D is essential in the body and affects many organ systems. In humans, it promotes bone formation, stimulates activity in the immune system, stimulates insulin production, as well as performing its vital functions in the Intestines and Kidneys.

Deficiency.  The classic outcomes of the absence of vitamin D or lack of sunlight exposure will lead to the bone disease called rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults.

What does all this have to do with milk?

Well simply, the body can not break down calcium as efficiently without Vitamin D and stimulates increased absorption of calcium from the small intestine. Without adequate vitamin D, the body absorbs no more than 15 percent of dietary calcium. With sufficient vitamin D, calcium absorption increases to 30 percent and, during pregnancy or lactation and in periods of growth, absorption can approach 80 percent.

Milk is high in calcium. Vitamin D helps ingest calcium.

It comes down to the calcium ingestion. Since it is conceived that a large population of humans suffer from Vitamin D deficiency, it was proposed as a supplement in the very food that would need it the most.

Does it need to be there?

This question is something of what has been consuming my recent thoughts. The necessity of programs. This addition to milk is somewhat of a quick fix. What it is doing is not solving the problem but curing the effects. These programs seem to be overwhelmingly present in our society, and in my opinion it is what is pulling us down. Limiting us.

What do you think?

• 2 Comments »