Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for maintaining good health. It is known for its role in regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for maintaining strong bones. Vitamin D is also important for immune system function, and recent research has suggested that it may have several other health benefits as well.
One of the most significant health benefits of vitamin D is its role in bone health. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is essential for maintaining strong bones and preventing conditions like osteoporosis. In addition, vitamin D has been shown to reduce the risk of falls in older adults, which can lead to fractures and other injuries.
Another important health benefit of vitamin D is its potential to reduce the risk of certain diseases. Some studies have suggested that vitamin D may help to prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types of cancer. It may also have anti-inflammatory effects, which could be beneficial for conditions like asthma and arthritis.
In addition to its potential disease-preventing effects, vitamin D may also have other benefits for overall health and well-being. Some research has suggested that vitamin D may improve muscle strength, reduce the risk of depression, and even boost weight loss.
Overall, vitamin D is an essential nutrient that plays a crucial role in maintaining good health. It is important to get enough vitamin D through diet and exposure to sunlight, and supplementation may be necessary for some individuals. Further research is needed to fully understand the potential health benefits of vitamin D, but the current evidence suggests that it is an important nutrient for maintaining good health.
It is very well-known that vitamin D is necessary for the calcium to be absorbed. This is not the only role of vitamin D, it has a lot of health benefits, but many people don’t know about them, and most importantly they don’t know where to get this vitamin. The bad part is that vitamin cannot be stored in the body like most vitamins so, a constant source of vitamin D is necessary.
Vitamin D sources
Vitamin D is not so easy to find, there are a few reliable sources, and this is more of a reason to know about them. This vitamin is known as the sunshine vitamin because our body produces vitamin D when the skin is exposed to the sun, this is why it’s not a bad idea to take some calcium supplements when you are at the seaside or somewhere where you are exposed to the sun a lot.
Other sources of vitamin D include fatty fish, some species of mushrooms, fortified foods, milk, egg yolk, orange juice, cereal and organ meats. It seems that up to 41 percent of the US population suffers from vitamin D deficiency and the effects of this deficiency.
Signs of vitamin D deficiency and risks
There are a lot of signs and signals your body sends in case you have a vitamin D deficiency. One of the signs include darker skin, African Americans are at a greater risk of having vitamin D deficiency because they need up to ten times more sun exposure than people with more pale skin. Another sign is that you feel out of sorts, sad close to depressed and this is because serotonin levels rise when you are exposed to light, and they decrease when the light is not present. People who are obese are more likely to have vitamin D deficiency because this vitamin is fat-soluble and this means that you need more vitamin than a slimmer person. Sweat is another sign of this deficiency, a sign especially present in newborn babies. Aching bones are also a sign of deficiency and this is linked to the necessity of vitamin D for the absorption of calcium.
In cases of prolonged vitamin D deficiency, the body will eventually suffer, and you will develop diseases. Vitamin D deficiency causes cardiovascular problems, severe asthma in children, cognitive impairments in adults and even cancer. Studies show that this vitamin can prevent the occurrence of type two and type one diabetes, hypertension, glucose intolerance and even multiple sclerosis.
Health benefits
On the first hand, vitamin D improves bone strength. This is the result of calcium and phosphorous absorption depending on the presence of vitamin D in the body. Studies show that people who take vitamin D supplements present a lower risk of developing a fracture with up to 33 percent. Studies show that children who took vitamin D supplements showed a lower risk of developing the flu.
A normal quantity of vitamin D can improve heart health. Studies have shown a reduced risk of heart attack, a lower risk of developing any cardiovascular disease. Normal levels of vitamin D can lower the risk of developing particular types of cancers like bladder cancer with up to 25 percent, and it also reduces the risk of dying from this type of cancer, a reduced risk of colorectal cancer. Some studies have shown that normal levels of vitamin D can slow the progression of cancer but take supplement didn’t seem to affect. Reduced risk of depression is another result of normal levels of vitamin D. This result might be linked to serotonin levels in the brain, but this is not a certainty. A recent study showed that low levels of vitamin D in the blood could increase the risk of depression with up to 131 percent, but it is not certain if vitamin D supplements can prevent or treat the disease.
A healthy pregnancy is a result of normal levels of vitamin D because deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia and the need for a caesarian section, a link might exist between vitamin D deficiency and gestational diabetes and even food allergies. Increased muscle strength seems to be associated with vitamin D levels, and this was shown in studies that proved that people who took supplements experienced an increase in upper and lower body strength. Multiple sclerosis is also on the list of diseases which can benefit from normal levels of vitamin D in the organism by lowering the risk of developing the disease.
Conclusion
It might not seem that a vitamin-like a vitamin D can have such a significant effect on the body. It is essential to maintain healthy levels of this vitamin not higher levels or anything else. It is so important to stay in the sun for appropriate periods of time and consume food which contains vitamin D. The body can suffer so much if vitamin D deficiency is present for short periods of time and more severe effects can be seen when the deficiency goes on undetected. So, make sure you keep an eye on the signs of vitamin D deficiency and do something every day to give your body more of this vitamin.
