BioActivo D-Pearls® Phyto 80 caps - Pharma Nord

BioActivo D-Pearls® Phyto 80caps - Pharma Nord

BioActivo D-Pearls Phyto from Pharma Nord are small, 100% plant-based capsules containing 38 mcg (1520 IU) of vitamin D3 per capsule. Vitamin D extracted from algae is dissolved in cold-pressed olive oil for high absorption. The small size of the capsules makes them easy to swallow or chew. The PhytoCaps contain low-fat cocoa powder as a coloring agent. Scientific research has shown that D-Pearls have good absorption.

Previously, it was possible to obtain vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) from plants and yeast, which vegetarians and vegans could consume, but science (Shieh A, et al. 2016) has shown that vitamin D3 is more effective at raising the body's blood levels of vitamin D than D2.

The vitamin D present in BioActivo D-Pearls Phyto from Pharma Nord is produced by algae. The algae used are grown under controlled conditions and are food-approved, and are commonly used in food worldwide. However, BioActivo D-Pearls Phyto does not actually contain algae; it is the vitamin D3 that is produced by the algae. There is no difference between vitamin D3 from algae and vitamin D3 from lanolin. They are chemically identical.

What is vitamin D?

Like other vitamins, vitamin D is essential. There are several types of vitamin D, but the two most important forms are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D3 is the form that is synthesized in the skin from cholesterol when we are exposed to a reasonable amount of sunlight or a similar type of UV radiation. Vitamin D derived from sunlight is an effective source of vitamin D, but it is only produced when the sun is high. In much of Europe, this only happens during the summer period, and therefore it is only at that time of year that it is possible to produce sufficient levels of vitamin D.
Vitamin D2 is only available in the diet, being produced by certain fungi and plants when exposed to ultraviolet light. Both vitamins D2 and D3 require activation in the liver and kidneys to become biologically active. Science believed that the two forms of vitamin D were equally effective in the body. However, depending on the measurement method used, vitamin D3 ends up being 56 to 87% more effective than vitamin D2 when it comes to increasing blood vitamin D levels. Furthermore, vitamin D3 is stored in fatty tissue 3 times more effectively than vitamin D2. *

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

Children and residents of nursing homes need more vitamin D than adults.

Vitamin D has a number of important functions in the body. For example, vitamin D:

• is important for normal cell division
• helps maintain healthy bones and teeth
• contributes to the normal absorption and utilization of calcium and phosphorus
• plays an important role in the immune system and muscle function

Sources of vitamin D for vegetarians and vegans - sun exposure and supplements

Vitamin D from the sun
When we receive enough sunlight or similar UV radiation, we form a precursor to vitamin D3 in the skin from cholesterol. This precursor must subsequently be converted (hydroxylated) in the liver and kidneys, respectively, to become active vitamin D.

Vitamin D from sun exposure is an effective source of vitamin D, but it is only possible to synthesize vitamin D when the sun is high, which does not happen during winter in most European countries, as is the case in Portugal.

Golden rule
To produce 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 ultraviolet radiation. If you are in doubt about vitamin D synthesis from the sun, look at your shadow. If the length of your shadow is equal to or shorter than your height, you can produce vitamin D. If, on the contrary, the shadow is longer than your height, vitamin D is not synthesized in the skin.

Insufficient vitamin D in a plant-based diet

It is a challenge to get enough vitamin D exclusively from plant foods. Mushrooms that have been exposed to sunlight can obtain some vitamin D, but it becomes limited in vitamin D when food is heated. People who do not eat animal-based foods can get vitamin D from the sun if it is high enough, which does not happen in the winter months (between October and April) in Portugal. The body stores a surplus of vitamin D obtained from sun exposure, which can be used when we can no longer synthesize vitamin D from the sun because it is too low. However, there will not be enough vitamin D in the body for the whole winter. Without supplements, many people may have low vitamin D levels starting in December.