Description
- Micellized Vitamin D3 is a liquid vitamin D3 providing natural vitamin D in a highly bioavailable, micellized form. The micellization process converts lipid-soluble vitamin D into tiny, water-soluble micelles markedly enhancing its absorption in the intestinal tract.
- Studies indicate a significant percentage of the population may be deficient in vitamin D and have linked numerous health problems to poor vitamin D status. Micellized Vitamin D3 is an excellent means of optimizing vitamin D intake and can be especially beneficial for persons with impaired digestion or malabsorption disorders. Each drop of Micellized Vitamin D3 provides 400 international units (IU) of cholecalciferol, the naturally occurring form of vitamin D.
- The micellar drops can be taken directly or mixed with food or liquid allowing ready control over dosage amounts to meet the individual needs of infants, children, or adults. Micellized Vitamin D3 is formulated to be free of common allergens and irritants including milk/casein, wheat/gluten, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, corn, yeast, and soybeans. It is also free of artificial sweeteners, coloring, and flavorings.
- Micellization mimics the body's natural dispersion of fatty substances into microscopic, water-soluble particles that can reach the absorptive surface of the intestinal tract. Some data indicate micellar components may also facilitate transport across cell membranes. Micellization can thus greatly enhance the bioavailability of vitamin D in both healthy individuals and those with compromised absorption. Micellization technology has long been used in the pharmaceutical industry to improve various characteristics of drugs such as wetting, stability, and bioavailability.
- Studies indicate the process dramatically improves the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients as well. Under laboratory conditions, intestinal epithelial tissue has been shown to absorb micellized vitamin A up to 3.6 times more efficiently than vitamin A in emulsified form. Absorption data from human studies are even more impressive. In one randomized, crossover trial, 12 healthy subjects were administered 500 IU of vitamin E in either a standard oil, emulsified or micellized form. After four hours, plasma level increases of vitamin E in the micellized group were more than twice those observed in the emulsion group, and almost five times greater than those in the oil group. Another experiment utilizing 50,000 IU of vitamin A as either an oil, emulsion or micellized solution achieved similar results. After four hours, plasma levels of vitamin A in subjects receiving the micellar formulation were over two and five times higher than levels in the emulsion and oil groups,
The complex process by which vitamin D is absorbed may partially account for its poor bioavailability and widespread deficiency. Studies indicate only 50% of a typical dosage of vitamin D is absorbed from the intestinal lumen into the lymphatic system. Persons with impaired absorptive capacity due to celiac disease, hepatobiliary defects, pancreatic insufficiency or bariatric surgery absorb even less vitamin D and may suffer from a higher risk of bone loss and other metabolic disorders. Use of bile acid sequestering medications such as cholestyramine or lipase inhibiting agents such as orlistat can further interfere with proper absorption of vitamin D. Although vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin, current trends toward reducing sunlight exposure have created a greater dependency on dietary sources of the nutrient. Very few foods naturally contain vitamin D, however, and fewer still are fortified with adequate levels of the vitamin. Estimates of vitamin D deficiency or inadequacy in the general population are therefore high, ranging from 36% to 100% depending on which age group or geographic region is being studied. The most salient feature of vitamin D deficiency is disordered bone mineralization leading to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In recent years, poor vitamin D status has also been linked with a wide range of problems including cardiovascular disease, immune disorders, impaired glucose regulation, depression, myopathy, and cancer.
