Title: 
That Undercover Vitamin

Word Count:
572

Summary:
Good ol' Vitamin D is one sneaky intruder.  He's not even a vitamin at all.  But check out what he can do for your body, and how you can put his talents to work to improve your health.


Keywords:
vitamins, vitamin d, bones, calcium, sunlight, diet, health, nutrition


Article Body:
There is a sly vitamin sneaking around town, wandering around your body under cover of your skin. This "vitamin" has a single purpose, although some researchers suspect he has ulterior motives.  He goes by the inconspicuous handle of "D" – <a href=http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net/vitamins/vitamin-d.html>Vitamin D</a>.    
<p>
Don't be fooled by his clever disguise.  D is no vitamin.  He's a steroid hormone, slipping through your body under guise of a vitamin.  And he doesn't have dozens of functions, like <a href=http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net/vitamins/vitamin-c.html>vitamin C</a> or <a href=http://www.vitamin-supplements-store.net/vitamins/vitamin-e.html>vitamin E</a>, just one vital mission – to mineralize your bones!
<p>
Mineralization is a key objective of every body.  Imagine if we all had flabby bones.  The world would look like a Salvador Dali nightmare.  Vitamin D saves us from having flabby bones.
<p>
More importantly, vitamin D saves us from having brittle bones.  He prevents us from rickets and osteomalacia by balancing the calcium and phosphorous in our blood.  Ooh, that D is a clever one.  Not only is he a master of disguises, but he is a master chemist, constantly monitoring, measuring and balancing the mix so it just right to ensure everybody has strong and healthy bones.
<p>
Word on the grapevine is that 30% to 40% of hip fractures in elderly people are the result of insufficient vitamin D.  So we caught up with D, and managed to slip away with a rare interview transcript:
<p>
"D, some of your fans can't get enough of you.  What should they do?"
<p>
"Get plenty of sun.  That is the key.  Where the sun touches your skin, that's where I will be."
<p>
"But, D, what about people who can't?  What about people in the far north, or those who wear head-to-toe clothing or who are stuck indoors?"
<p>
"If you find yourself overdressed in a dungeon in Mongolia, get a good multi-vitamin supplement."
<p>
"D, that's a wonderful idea."
<p>
"Or drink lots of milk, fortified with me, of course.  Some breakfast cereals are fortified with me, too.  I also hang out in a lot of saltwater fish, like tuna and sardines and herring and salmon.  And I love to slip around in the ol' cod liver oil."
<p>
"So if we can't get enough sun, milk and fish will do the trick."
<p>
"That's right, but be careful about milk products.  Not all of them are made with fortified milk.  I make no commitment to be there if they are not."
<p>
"What about the supplements, D?"
<p>
"A good multivitamin supplement should do it for most people.  Get a liquid supplement, cause those pills just don't digest.  You just end up flushing me down the toilet...ooh, I hate that feeling."
<p>
"Yuck."
<p>
"And you shouldn't need a specific vitamin D supplement, because it is possible to overdose.  And you wouldn't want too much of a guy like me around."
<p>
That was all we could slip through the lines.  But I think we learned a lot about what it is like to live the life of a secret vitamin.  To our hero, vitamin D, we offer our best wishes.  May everybody get plenty of vitamin D to keep their bones strong and healthy for many years to come.


