Pharma Nord BioActive D-Pearls Phyto 80 caps

D-Pearls Phyto are small, soft plant-based capsules with 38 mcg (1520 IU) of vitamin D3 in each capsule. The vitamin D secreted by algae is dissolved in cold-pressed olive oil to improve absorption. The size of the capsules makes them easy to swallow, but they can also be chewed. The phytocapsule is colored with a little low-fat cocoa powder. Research has shown that D-Pearls have good absorption.

D3 is the form of the vitamin that is synthesized in the skin when we are exposed to sufficient amounts of sunlight or a similar type of UV-radiation. Vitamin D from sunlight is an effective vitamin D source but is only produced when the sun is high in the sky. In large parts of Europe (at latitudes above 37 degrees north), this only happens during the summer period, and therefore we can only produce sufficient levels of the vitamin in the summer months.

The vitamin D in D-Pearls Green is produced by algae. The algae used is grown under controlled conditions and is approved as food and commonly used in food globally. However, D-Pearls Green do not contain parts of the algae itself; rather, the algae secrete vitamin D3 which is purified. There is no difference between vitamin D3 from algae and vitamin D3 from lanolin. They are chemically identical.

Safety and quality

At Pharma Nord's factory in Vojens we produce both pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements, which makes it possible to carry out the same control procedures for dietary supplements as for pharmaceutical products. Both dietary supplements and medicines are examined according to a carefully determined plan - which ensures that the products contain what the specification says. This gives consumers assurance that the individual D-Pearl contains the amount of vitamin D that is listed.

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. This implies that the vitamin need some fat in order to be absorbed in the intestine. Like other vitamins, vitamin D is essential. There are several kinds of vitamin-D, but the two most important forms are D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol).

D3 is the form of the vitamin that is synthesized in the skin when we are exposed to sufficient amounts of sunlight or a similar type of UV-radiation. Vitamin D from sunlight is an effective vitamin D source but is only produced when the sun is high in the sky. In large parts of Europe (at latitudes above 37 degrees north), this only happens during the summer period, and therefore we can only produce sufficient levels of the vitamin in the summer months.

Vitamin D2 are only available from the diet. It is produced by certain fungi and plants when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. Both vitamin D2 and D3 require subsequent activation in the liver and kidneys in order to become biologically active. Scientists used to believe that both forms of vitamin D were equally effective in the body. However, depending on the measuring method used, vitamin D3 is 56-87 per cent more effective than vitamin D2 when it comes to raising blood levels of vitamin D. Moreover, D3 is stored in fat tissue more than three times as effectively as D2*.

* Heaney RP, et al. Vitamin D3 Is More Potent Than Vitamin D2 in Humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2010.

Children and nursing home residents require more vitamin D than adults.

Vitamin D has an array of important functions in the body:

•    helps to maintain normal bones and teeth
•    supports normal immune function
•     Contributing to a normal absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus
•     Playing a role in the body's immune system and muscle function
   

Vitamin D from the Sun

We form a precursor to vitamin D3 in the skin based on cholesterol when we get enough sunlight or equivalent UV radiation. This precursor must subsequently be converted (hydroxylated) in the liver and kidneys, respectively, to become active vitamin D.

Vitamin D from sunlight is an effective source of vitamin D, but it is only formed when the sun reaches high enough in the sky. A country like Denmark is so far in the north that we can only get vitamin D from the sun in the summer.

Rule of thumb

To form vitamin D from sunlight, the UV index must be at least 3 or higher. The UV index is used as a measure of the intensity of the Sun's ultraviolet radiation. If you are in doubt about whether you can form vitamin D from the Sun, look at your shadow. If the length of your shadow has the same or shorter length than your height, then you can form vitamin D. If, on the other hand, the shade is longer than the height, vitamin D is not formed.