Vitamin D is a hormone mainly produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight.
FOOD SOURCES:
Certain foods such as egg yolk, oily fish, milk and fortified foods such as breakfast cereals also contain small levels of vitamin D.
USES:
Vitamin D is important for bone health via managing calcium release/absorption to promote bone remodelling (breakdown/build new bone cells).
Vitamin D is also important to support the immune system but researchers believe there are more, yet unknown, roles for vitamin D.
DEFICIENCY:
Vitamin D deficiency leads to rickets in children and osteamalacia or osteoporosis in adults.
People at risk of vitamin D deficiency are those whose exposure to sunlight is limited and/or have darker skin.