Vitamin D – The Essential Guide
Emilia Szymańska
2026-03-23
7 min. read
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Vitamin D has garnered significant popularity and become a topic of numerous discussions in recent years. A plethora of scientific studies corroborates its importance as an indispensable component that plays a pivotal role in the human organism. Despite efforts in nutritional education and health promotion, Vitamin D deficiency remains extensively prevalent. How can we prevent this?
Vitamin D: Definition, dietary sources, and its bioactivation pathway in humans
The designation "vitamin D" encompasses a class of biochemical compounds, primarily comprising cholecalciferol (vitamin D₃, either endogenously synthesized in the epidermis upon ultraviolet B exposure or obtained from animal-derived foods) and ergocalciferol (vitamin D₂, derived from plant sources such as yeasts and edible fungi). Classified among the lipophilic vitamins—alongside retinol (A), tocopherol (E), and phylloquinone (K)—vitamin D in its native form exhibits no biological activity, as demonstrated in DeLuca’s 2004 research. Only through sequential hydroxylation processes in the hepatic and renal systems is it converted into calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃), a secosteroidal hormone with pleiotropic physiological functions.
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