Doctor's Best Best Vitamin D3 1000 IU -- 1000 IU - 180

Doctor's Best Best Vitamin D3 1000 IU -- 1000IU - 180 Softgel Capsules
Science-BasedNutrition™2000 IU Vitamin D3per ServingSupports HealthyImmune System, Heart, & Bone Health


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VitaminD3 (cholecalciferol) is a nutrient that is critical to many bodilyfunctions. Vitamin D3 is beneficial for supporting bone health, immunewellness, cardio- vascular function, and cellular metabolism, amongothers. Mounting research is highlighting the ever-increasing benefitsof optimal vitamin D3 status. Vitamin D3 is known to interact with over200 different genes and thus plays a crucial regulatory role as ametabolic activator for a multitude of metabolic processes.
Vitamin D from dietary intake or sun exposure requires twoactivation steps in the body. The first activation occurs in the liver,while the second activation occurs in the kidneys, allowing forregulation of calcium metabolism. However, vitamin D receptors arepresent throughout the body, in tissue such as the skin, cartilage,heart, prostate, bones and intestines. Thus, the second activation stepalso takes place in local tissues. Recent discoveries have highlightedthe important modulatory effects of vitamin D on various cells of theimmune system.
Vitamin D enhances and regulates immune function
Studiesshow that vitamin D has important immunomodulatory effects. It is knownthat various cells of the immune system, such as T lymphocytes andantigen presenting cells, express the vitamin D receptor on theirsurface when activated. Recently, it has been found that treatment ofthese immune cells with vitamin D influences their expression ofcytokines, which are chemical messengers of the immune system. Theimmune modulating effects of vitamin D extend to monocytes anddendritic cells of the immune system as well. Dendritic cells areimportant antigen-processing cells of the immune system that functionto initiate the immune response. By altering the cytokine expression ofdendritic cells, vitamin D may prevent overactivity of the immuneresponse and keep the immune system in a normal healthy state ofvigilance.
Vitamin D supports optimal cardiovascular function
Researchhas uncovered the role vitamin D plays in supporting cardiac function.Heart myocytes (cells) express the vitamin D receptor, as do smoothmuscle cells of blood vessels. The benefits of vitamin D on the heartare potentially far-reaching. Studies on mice heart cells have shownthat vitamin D administration impacts their growth and proliferation.In these cells, vitamin D inhibited the release of a protein that couldbe detrimental to the function of these cells, displayingcardioprotective properties. It has also been shown that vitamin D hasa modulatory effect on heart rhythm. Again, in mouse heart cells,knocking out the effects of the vitamin D receptors led to an increasedrate of contraction and relaxation. In normal mouse cardiac myocytes,administration of vitamin D led to normalization of heartcontractility. Further studies in mice have led researchers to concludethat vitamin D supports the overall structure and function of the heartin terms of shape, size and performance.
Studies in humans have confirmed the importance of vitamin Dforheart function. In a study consisting of 1,739 participants from theFramingham Offspring Study, those individuals with the highest levelsof vitamin D had superior cardiac function in relation to those withlow vitamin D levels. These results make sense when taken in context ofthe overall effects of low vitamin D. These effects include animbalance in the immune production of inflammatory markers, disturbingthe normal inflammatory response and leading to potential effects onall tissues, including the heart and blood vessels. Restoration ofoptimal vitamin D status supports a healthy, normal inflammatoryresponse and may thus restore the optimal health of the heart andcardiovascular system.
Furthermore, recent research highlights the profound benefitsofvitamin D sufficiency in the realm of markers of cardiovascularwellness. Studies have previously shown that vitamin D supplementationhas no effect on weight loss. However a recent study conducted in 200healthy overweight individuals has shown that vitamin D supplementationcan enhance the cardiovascular benefits associated with weight loss.The individuals participating in a 12-month weight reduction programwere divided into two groups – one received placebo while the othergroup received supplemental vitamin D on a daily basis. At the end ofthe study, it was found that neither placebo nor vitamin D had ameasurable effect on weight loss, as both groups lost similar amountsof weight. However, cardiovascular markers and blood lipid markerssignificantly improved in the vitamin D group, indicating enhancedcardiovascular support with vitamin D supplementation.
A further way in which vitamin D may influence the health ofthecardiovascular system is through its potential blood pressureregulatory effect. While the mechanism of vitamin D’s effect on bloodpressure regulation is unclear, it is known that vitamin D regulatescalcium balance, supports endothelial function, activates genetranscription, and influences the sodium-potassium balance andaldosterone system in the kidneys. It is likely that vitamin D exertsits blood pressure regulatory effect in one or more of these ways. Astudy was conducted to assess the effects of vitamin D status on bloodpressure. In this study, data from the Third US National Health andNutrition Examination Survey was used to determine the association ofblood pressure levels with vitamin D status in healthy individuals. Theresults of this study, which included data from 12,644 people, showedthat those individuals with the highest vitamin D status had anincreased ability to maintain their blood pressure levels in the normalrange. By supporting blood pressure levels within a range that isalready normal, vitamin D promotes the health and wellness of thecardiovascular system.
Vitamin D supports healthy bone density and structure
Therole of vitamin D for bone health (alongside that of calcium) has beenwell-characterized in published literature. Vitamin D is obviouslyrequired for optimal calcium absorption. Recent studies have shown thatpossibly a majority of women with bone health issues have low levels ofvitamin D. In some studies, this number is well over 60%. One suchstudy found that out of a total of 2,606 postmenopausal women assessed,more than 64% had levels of vitamin D of less than 30 ng/mL (measuredas serum levels of 25(OH) D, a common blood measure of vitamin Dsufficiency). These authors state that, according to a recent reviewarticle, the optimal vitamin D levels as measured by 25(OH) D arebetween 50 and 80 ng/mL. Thus, levels near 30 ng/mL are significantlybelow those considered optimal.
An interesting study was performed recently in Finland inwhich 212adolescent females were divided into three groups – a placebo groupreceiving no vitamin D, a low-dose vitamin D group (200 IU per day) anda higher dose vitamin D group (400 IU per day). The study aimed tomeasure the effects of vitamin D intake on bone mineral density inthese young healthy females who also had adequate calcium status. Atthe end of the one year study, both vitamin D groups had significantimprovements in bone density measured at the femur bone, whereas the400 IU group also had significantly higher mineral density at thelumbar spine. These findings indicate the importance of vitamin D inbone structure and formation and also indicate the role of vitamin D inbone health independent of calcium intake.
Vitamin D promotes healthy aging by enhancing cellularfunction
Givenits role as a promoter of gene expression, vitamin D affects numeroussystems throughout the body. Research unmistakably shows that vitamin Dis also a regulator of cellular health and wellness. Aged, unhealthycells tend to lose their ability to differentiate and perform theiroriginal intended function due to the cumulative effects of oxidativedamage. Vitamin D, acting as a pro-hormone, promotes the ability ofcells to maintain their normal life cycle of birth, differentiation,functional performance and death, when they have become overly damaged.Damaged cells can lead to damaged tissue function. By promoting thenormal cell cycle, vitamin D ensures the progression of cells throughtheir functionality and their healthy renewal.
Supplement FactsServing Size: 1 CapsuleServings per Container: 180
Amount Per Serving% Daily Value
Vitamin D31000 International Unit250%
Other Ingredients: Soybean oil, softgel capsule (gelatin,glycerin, purified water).