You can call this vitamin as the sunshine vitamin because you get it from the sunlight. In the United States, a lot of people suffer from vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin can be consumed from foods and supplements as well. But, there is very less percentage of the foods that contain therapeutic levels of this vitamin. Vitamin D is considered to be a very important vitamin for our body. It provides various health benefits. So, if you are eager to know more information about vitamin D, then read this article to know various benefits of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms:
Your body may suffer from various problems due to vitamin D deficiency. Some of the basic vitamin D deficiency symptoms are as follows:
- You will increase the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases.
- Asthma in children
- Cancer
- Bones Ache
- Your skin will get darker due to vitamin D deficiency.
- You will experience gut trouble.
Benefits of Vitamin D:
When you remain in your house and spend majority of your time while staying indoors, then you lose the opportunity to take the most important vitamin. Vitamin D deficiency can cause various impacts on your health. If you lack in it you will suffer and if you take the proper amount of it, the then you are going to get several health benefits of vitamin D. Some of the most common benefits of vitamin D are given below.
1.) Get Stronger Bones by Vitamin D:
Though, very few people know that vitamin D plays a major role in keeping your bones stronger. People think that the strength of the bones merely depends on the calcium nutrient while it is not so. According to research it is proved that vitamin D is a very strong simulator of calcium nutrient. It helps a lot in calcium deposition in the bones. It contributes a lot to keeping your bones stronger and healthier. So, remember that if your body is not getting proper amount of vitamin D, then the deposition of calcium will slow down in your body. Due to this, the constant cycle of deposition will get affected and eventually your bones will become weaker.
2.) Prevent Cardiovascular Disease:
Vitamin D acts as a protective shield. It is proved through research that individuals who lack in vitamin D are at the increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Though, the evidence are still not clear that why it happens. But, all we can understand is that this nutrient helps in improving vascular compliance. It can also improve glycemic control. Hence, it is really important to save your heart by consuming vitamin D nutrient.
3.) Decreases Risk of Getting Type 2 Diabetes:
You may experience some of the devastating and long-term complications due to type 2 diabetes. Some of the severe symptoms of it are nerve damage, heart disease, vision loss, kidney failure, and eye damage. In such case it is really important to get proper vitamin D nutrient in the body. According to a recent study it is proved that this nutrient plays a significant role in reducing type-2 diabetes. You will have 38% of lower risk of developing the problem of type-2 diabetes if you have highest baseline levels of vitamin D.
4.) Vitamin D can Reduce Risk of Cancer:
It is proved in research that sufficient amount of vitamin D nutrient levels may help in reducing the risk of developing various types of cancer like colon, prostrate, breast, and ovarian cancer. Also, vitamin D is considered one of the powerful inhibitors of cell growth in cancer. It can decrease the risk of developing cancer by increasing calcium absorption and cell differentiation in the body. It may even help in reducing metastasis (which is basically the spread of cancer from one organ of the body to another).
5.) Few Other Benefits of Vitamin D:
Here few other important benefits of vitamin D.
- It helps in maintaining the health of teeth and bones.
- It helps in supporting and maintaining the health of the brain, immune, and nervous system.
- It helps in regulating insulin levels in the body.
- It provides a great help in diabetes management.
- It supports cardiovascular health.
- It even supports the lung function.
- It also helps in influencing the expression of genes involved in cancer development.
Few Important Facts About Vitamin D:
Here are some of the most fascinating and important facts about Vitamin D.
- Vitamin D is the most important nutrient that plays a primary role in developing and maintaining the health of bones and teeth.
- A person having a fair skin can synthesize up to 20,000 IU of vitamin D3 in just 20 minutes.
- Vitamin D deficiency is very common among the people having dark skin, infants, elder people, people who live in an area with a little sun exposure, and people living at higher altitudes.
- Around 80% of hip fracture patients suffer from vitamin D deficiency.
- Just consuming 800IU of vitamin D per day may help in reducing the risk of developing a fracture by 20% in elderly people. It even helps in reducing the risk of falls.
- Few medications like barbiturates, Dilantin, phenobarbital, and isoniazid may get affected by metabolism of vitamin D.
Best Sources of Vitamin D:
Here few important and best sources of vitamin D.
The Sun:
The best way to get vitamin D nutrient is to get out in the sun. Sun is the best source as it provide a daily dose of vitamin D to your body. When you are exposed to UVB radiation of sunlight you will see that the vitamin will be formed before going into the bloodstream. From there it moves to the liver and then gets converted into vitamin D.
Diet:
Diet plays a major role in your health. If you choose the right kind of diet, then you will stay fulfilled with important nutrients. So, add important foods high in vitamin D to your diet. Also, eat oily fish like salmon and trout. There are many other foods high in vitamin D like breads, milk, cereals, and eggs.
Supplementation:
You may also take vitamin D supplements. There are also few multivitamin supplements that contain RDA value from 600IU-2000IU.
