Vitamin D functionality is implicated in over 200 physiologically regulated processes, ranging from modulation of gene expression to activation of protein receptors and signaling pathways. Vitamin D plays a key role in the homeostasis of calcium and phosphate in the body, helping with mineralization of bone and proper functioning of the musculature.
However, its impact goes much deeper. When levels of Vitamin D are deficient in the body, systems suffer and perform sub-optimally. This manifests as a hormonally dysregulated system, with increased risk for bone demineralization, reduced ability to fight infection, and an increased likelihood of complications with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and type 1 diabetes, among others.