In this article, we’ll consider the health benefits of taking Vitamin D, providing you with useful information on vitamin D, and will look at what happens to the body when people don’t get enough. We’ll also consider how to boost vitamin D intake. [Sources: 1, 10]
Also known as “sunshine vitamin,” vitamin D is produced by the body when the skin is exposed to the sun. Unlike other vitamins that can only be obtained through diet, your body can do it when exposed to sunlight, and it is one of the most important vitamins in the human body and also the best source of calcium. [Sources: 3, 11, 13]
Winter sun is the best time of year to produce enough vitamin D, and that allows most people to produce it. Vitamin D can be stored, but it can be broken down in the body, meaning your supply may be depleted, especially in winter. [Sources: 10, 19]
While you may be considering eating more foods that contain vitamin D, or getting a little sunlight, I tell you that you should take a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement. Remember that you can block out enough sunlight to allow you to take a vitamin D supplement, but forget about it. [Sources: 5, 22]
You can also absorb vitamin D from the food you eat, but you won’t get enough to prevent vitamin D deficiency. [Sources: 19]
If you are unable to regularly sunbathe or take vitamin D – rich foods – a high-quality D3 supplement may be the best way to close the gap to vitamin D deficiency. If you are diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, your doctor will probably recommend taking vitamin D daily. If you do not get enough vitamin D from sunlight and food sources, you need a vitamin D supplement for a few weeks or months after diagnosis, or even one or two years after diagnosis, and then again after several months or years after. And if you diagnose a deficiency of Aitamin D, your doctor will probably recommend you take daily supplements for at least a week or a month after diagnosis. [Sources: 7, 14, 21]
Even if you are not vitamin D deficient or do not know that you have vitamin D deficiency, it is a good idea to include foods in your diet that contain naturally occurring, fortified and / or high-quality vitamins D and D3. [Sources: 12]
You can increase your vitamin D levels by taking the right foods and supplements to achieve its benefits. If you eat the right food for vitamin D supplements and spend more time in the sun, forget more of your vitamin D in your diet. [Sources: 14, 23]
If you live in a northern state with latitudes north of 37 degrees, you are at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency because your skin may not be able to produce vitamin D through sunlight during the winter months. Whatever the season, sunscreen prevents your body from producing vitamin D. If you wear sunscreen, staying outdoors does not necessarily solve your vitamin D deficiency, at least not in the short term. [Sources: 4, 9]
In addition, older adults tend to eat foods that are supplemented with vitamin D and avoid sunlight, which puts them at a higher risk of vitamin D deficiency. Children with vitamin D rickets are more likely to develop respiratory infections when deficiency occurs than children who receive more vitamin D from the sun. Some research suggests that sun has some health benefits that are independent of fitamin D, but the kidneys are too slow to convert vitamin D into its active form. If your skin is exposed to sunlight at a young age, it cannot produce vitamin C and therefore cannot produce it in the long term. For example, those with low vitamin D levels are often those who have not received enough sun in their youth, which is the real cause of health problems. [Sources: 2, 8, 15, 20]
Taking a vitamin D supplement can be beneficial for bone health in such cases, and the information contained here will help you learn more about the benefits of vitamin D and its role in bone development. [Sources: 8, 18]
V D is a fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in maintaining muscle and bone health. Learn more about how this vitamin can protect you from aging, and the benefits of vitamin D for your body’s immune system. [Sources: 0, 17]
Here are some of the benefits you need to know, including ways to get more of this vitamin in your daily diet. Simply taking a ton of vitamin D is not the complete answer to preventing vitamin D deficiency in the long run. There is a risk of eating too much of it, especially for the average person, which does not mean that you are taking a lot of vitamin D. In addition, vitamin D is important for brain development, so pregnant women are advised to be careful to get as much of their daily dose of vitamin D as possible. [Sources: 6, 8, 12, 16]
Sources
[0]: https://www.aplaceformom.com/caregiver-resources/articles/vitamin-d-deficiency
[1]: https://blog.theralogix.com/vitamin-d-benefits-for-men/
[2]: https://medlineplus.gov/vitaminddeficiency.html
[3]: https://www.ecowatch.com/health-benefits-vitamin-d-2196232090.html
[4]: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/taking-too-much-vitamin-d-can-cloud-its-benefits-and-create-health-risks
[5]: https://www.hotzehwc.com/2018/03/20-amazing-benefits-vitamin-d/
[6]: https://www.health.com/nutrition/vitamins-supplements/vitamin-d-benefits
[7]: https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-vitamin-d/art-20363792
[8]: https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/
[9]: https://milklife.com/articles/nutrition/how-to-get-benefits-of-vitamin-d-in-milk
[10]: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618
[11]: https://www.prevention.com/health/g20501540/benefits-of-vitamin-d/
[12]: https://www.unitypoint.org/livewell/article.aspx?id=ca7f4766-8ba8-43a2-bbe7-0ef9efab5c6d
[13]: https://www.byrdie.com/vitamin-d-for-skin-4783626
[14]: https://centrespringmd.com/vitamin-d-deep-dive-why-your-immune-system-isnt-protected/
[15]: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/top-5-benefits-vitamin-d-4820.html
[16]: https://www.bulletproof.com/supplements/vitamins-minerals/vitamin-d-optimal-range/
[17]: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/26/how-to-know-if-you-have-a-vitamin-d-deficiency.html
[18]: https://www.nof.org/patients/treatment/calciumvitamin-d/
[19]: https://www.runtastic.com/blog/en/vitamin-d3-benefits/
[20]: https://www.britannica.com/science/vitamin-D
[21]: https://www.cmcm.lu/en/healthadvice/benefits-vitamin-d
[22]: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15050-vitamin-d–vitamin-d-deficiency
[23]: https://draxe.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-benefits/
