Unilab Launches Forti-D: Some Surprising Facts about Vitamin D

While you’re catching some rays of the summer sun this summer, think about vitamin D. Sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” because it’s produced in your skin in response to sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that includes vitamins D1, D2, and D3. It can affect as many as 2,000 genes in the body.  

Here are some surprising facts about Vitamin D:

Fact #1 Our Vitamin D requirement can be obtained from sunlight exposure.

Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight. It also occurs naturally in a few foods, including some fish, fish liver oils, and egg yolks, and in fortified dairy and grain products.Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet. 

Good thing United Laboratories or UNILAB, the biggest Pharmaceutical Company in the Philippines recently launched their latest product that will help fight Vitamin D deficiency as well as spreading news regarding this topic. 

Fact #2 Early morning is not the best time to get the ideal amount of Vitamin D from the sun. Best time to bask in the sun would be around 10am.

Fact #3 In general, Americans can better produce Vitamin D than Filipinos.

In the same presentation, Dr. Alejandro Diaz of the Philippine Neurological Association also disclosed that typical Filipinos’ naturally tan complexion, given the moderate to high levels of melanin in their skin, is also a factor in vitamin-D deficiency.

“Melanin, while serving as a protective barrier for the skin against ultraviolet (UV) light, also works to block the sun’s rays, which is needed to activate vitamin D in the body. Studies have proven that there is a direct correlation between melanin levels and vitamin D production, with melanin affecting the skin’s ability to synthesize vitamin D. Thus the darker the skin, the less vitamin D is produced,” Dr. Diaz said.

Fact #4 Vitamin cannot be obtained from fruits and vegetables.

“Apart from staying indoors for most parts of the day, habitually wearing long-sleeved clothing and slacks or pants, using too much sunscreen, and eating barely enough of vitamin D-rich foods, environmental factors are also at play,” Dr. Renales said.

Fact #5 Vitamin D has effects beyond bone health.

As a preventive measure against vitamin D deficiency, doctors have endorsed the daily intake of vitamin D supplements.

Forti-D, the latest vitamin D supplement in the market, is a single-dose supplement that contains 800 IU of vitamin D3. Also known as colecalciferol, vitamin D3 impacts one’s bone structure, blood pressure, hormone production and potential for diseases and cancers. 

Forti-D, vitamin supplement available for only P6.50per pc. (SRP) in all leading drugstores nationwide.

Fact #6 Despite being in a tropical country, many Filipinos have insufficient levels of Vitamin D. 

Many Filipinos have insufficient levels of Vitamin D primarily because of lifestyle.The problem is that most of us aren’t exposed to enough sunlight. Some factors include: staying indoors for most part of the day, pollution, smog, diet, clothing that limits sun exposure and use of sunscreen. 

Here are some of the reasons why you are Probably NOT Getting Enough Vitamin D:

You don't consume the recommended levels of the vitamin over time. This is likely if you follow a strict vegetarian diet, because most of the natural sources are animal-based, including fish and fish oils, egg yolks, cheese, fortified milk, and beef liver.

Limited sunlight exposure. Because the body makes vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight, you may be at risk of deficiency if you are homebound, live in northern latitudes, wear long robes or head coverings for religious reasons, or have an occupation that prevents sun exposure.

You have dark skin. The pigment melanin reduces the skin's ability to make vitamin D in response to sunlight exposure. Some studies show that older adults with darker skin are at high risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Your kidneys cannot convert vitamin D to its active form. As people age their kidneys are less able to convert vitamin D to its active form, thus increasing their risk of vitamin D deficiency.

Your digestive tract cannot adequately absorb vitamin D. Certain medical problems, including Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac disease, can affect your intestine's ability to absorb vitamin D from the food you eat.

You are obese. Vitamin D is extracted from the blood by fat cells, altering its release into the circulation. People with a body mass index of 30 or greater often have low blood levels of vitamin D.

So here is my advice for getting optimal levels of vitamin D:

1. Get tested. The current ranges for “normal” are 25 to 137 nmol/L or 10 to 55 ng/ml. These are fine if you want to prevent rickets – but NOT for optimal health. In that case, the range should be 100 to 160 nmol/L or 40 to 65 ng/ml. In the future, it may raise the “optimal” level even higher.

2. Take the right type of vitamin D. The only active form of vitamin D is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Look for this type, such as Forti-D. Many vitamins and prescriptions of vitamin D have vitamin D2 – which is not biologically active.

Alex Panlilio, Unilab VP for consumer health, also said that taking one capsule of Forti-D every day helps reduce the risk of getting chronic diseases by unlocking the proper function of organs typically affected by such illnesses.

Go get your daily dose of Forti-D in order to live a healthier life. This vitamin is crucial for good health. So start aiming for optimal levels – and watch how your health improves through the simple addition of the Vitamin D.