[iko]

As one of those papers points out "Light skin pigmentation, lean body mass, and supplementation with vitamin D were found to correlate with higher concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D." so eating the stuff raises your levels of it. It might not be a dominant route for the production of the stuff in plasma, but it's certainly measurable.

The name vitamin originally only referred to amines, ("Vital amines" in particular) so vitamins  A, C, D, E, and K are not vitamins.

No matter what you call the stuff, it doesn't kill viruses.

Vitamin: a substance that makes you ill
 if you don't eat it.

Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
(16 Sep 1893 - 22 Oct 1986)


Hungarian-American biochemist who was awarded the 1937 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine 'for his discoveries in connection with the biological combustion processes, with special reference to vitamin C and the catalysis of fumaric acid'.

other quotes:

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

Research is four things: brains with which to think, eyes with which to see, machines with which to measure, and fourth, money.

http://www.todayinsci.com/S/SzentGyorgyi_Albert/SzentGyorgyiAlbert-Quotations.htm
http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/WG/Views/Exhibit/narrative/szeged.html
http://www.necksecret.com/images/dr._albert_szent-gyorgyi_kdnm_vj4f.jpg

[ameliaswank]

Vitamin D is surely an amazing vitamin with amazing benefits in it. the most exciting thing about vitamin D is that you can found it in sun rays. see how easy it is to get vitamin D in your body, countries where the sun rises for about six months are really benefited in having vitamin D and its good effects..

[Kevan Gelling]

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) was set up to ensure that any claims made by a product is backed up by scientific evidence (as a result Slim Fast may have to change its name [])

Here is the text from a recent ruling about Vitamin D and the immune system

Summary

Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies was asked to provide a scientific opinion on a list of health claims pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. This opinion addresses the scientific substantiation of health claims in relation to vitamin D and normal function of the immune system and inflammatory response, maintenance of normal muscle function and maintenance of normal cardiovascular function. The scientific substantiation is based on the information provided by the Member States in the consolidated list of Article 13 health claims and references that EFSA has received from Member States or directly from stakeholders.

The food constituent that is the subject of the health claims is vitamin D, which is a well recognised nutrient and is measurable in foods by established methods. The Panel considers that vitamin D is sufficiently characterised.

The claimed effects are normal function of the immune system and inflammatory response, maintenance of normal muscle function and maintenance of normal cardiovascular function. The target population is assumed to be general population.

The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has been established between the dietary intake of vitamin D and contribution to the normal function of the immune system and healthy inflammatory response, and maintenance of normal muscle function.

The Panel considers that, in order to bear the claims, a food should be at least a source of vitamin D as per Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. Such amounts can be easily consumed as part of a balanced diet.