[Vitamin D for daily practice].

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which has the regulation of calcium-phosphorus metabolism in the body as its main function. Vitamin D receptor is present in most of the nucleated cells of the body, and its role in multiple body processes is being discovered. The 3 main sources of vitamin D are ultraviolet sun radiation, diet, and supplementation. The skin, through solar radiation, provides 90% of the bodýs vitamin D needs. In cases of low vitamin D, sun exposure habits and diet must be reviewed, and pharmacological supplementation must be assessed. Measurement in the body is performed by determining 25-hydroxycholecalciferol with values below 20ng/ml being considered insufficient. Universal screening of vitamin D is not currently recommended, only in situations where a deficiency is suspected.