India, Oct. 3 -- Vitamin D is often called the 'sunshine vitamin,' but there's more to it than just sunlight and strong bones. Dr Saurabh Sethi, a gastroenterologist trained at AIIMS, Harvard, and Stanford Universities, shares in a October 2 Instagram post 5 surprising facts about vitamin D that most of us don't know - and why it's crucial for your overall health. (Also read: AIIMS gastroenterologist warns against 'having coffee on empty stomach', shares 7 worst coffee habits to avoid for gut )

"But first, it is not just a vitamin. It actually works more like a hormone in your body, controlling over 200 genes," Dr Sethi explains.

Dr Sethi points out that vitamin D-rich foods are limited. "Food sources of vitamin D are rare. You would ne...