Benefits of Vitamin D

If you’re looking to improve your health, you should know about the benefits of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is important to your health!

The Health Benefits of Vitamin D

This important nutrient is crucial in keeping your body functioning properly, and without enough vitamin D, you can get very sick.

How exactly does vitamin D help your body? In several ways:

• Vitamin D supports healthy bones by helping your small intestines to absorb calcium more effectively.
• It helps to prevent rickets and osteomalacia.
• Studies have shown that vitamin D intake can inhibit the growth of some cancers, and in some cases can lower your chances of developing certain tumors. (Garland, et al)
• Vitamin D may also help prevent diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type I diabetes, as it interacts with cells in the immune system and can act as an anti-inflammatory.

Vitamin D and Cancer

Vitamin D might actually help prevent some cancers, too. In 1980, a Johns Hopkins study found that people who live in sunny areas are statistically less likely to develop colon cancer than people who lived in less sunny areas. (Garland, et al) These same scientists found that in areas where air pollution blocked the levels of sunlight that help your body synthesize vitamin D, people were more likely to die of colon and breast cancers. The researchers performing the study believe that vitamin D was a major factor in both cases.

More recently, several studies by the same group have found that men and women with high levels of this nutrient circulating in their system were half as likely to develop colon cancer as peers who have less vitamin D in their bloodstream. The study recommends that people should try to supplement their D intake by taking 1000mg a day. (Garland, et al)

Getting More Vitamin D

Eggs are a great source of vitamin D.

While it's possible to get enough vitamin D by spending time in the sun, some people may need to increase their intake by taking a vitamin supplement. There are two different kinds of vitamin D that you need to be aware of:

• Vitamin D2, or ergocalciferol, which comes from plant-based foods.
• Vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, which comes from sun exposure, certain foods, and dietary supplements.

Both forms are necessary for optimal health, but most supplements only provide one or the other. It's important to check the label to see which you're getting!

Another way to increase your intake is to eat lots of foods that are rich in vitamin D. There are many delicious foods to choose from:

• Salmon
• Mackerel
• Eggs
• Cod liver oil
• Vitamin D fortified milk
• Enriched breakfast cereals

A Note on Vitamin D and Sunscreen

Sunscreen can block some of the sunlight that helps your body to produce Vitamin D. Preventing skin cancer is important, though - so some doctors are recommending that you spend ten to fifteen minutes in the sun before applying sunscreen to make sure your body absorbs enough sunlight to meet your daily requirement.

Also, people with very dark skin, like those of African American descent, need to spend more time in the sun to get their daily dose of D since darker skin pigments block the light rays that helps to synthesize the vitamin.

Want to Know More?

If you want to know more about the health benefits of vitamin D, the Internet has a host of valuable information. Here are some links to help you in your research.

• The Vitamin D Council has a great page that talks about how this vitamin affects your risk of developing colon cancer.
• The Mayo Clinic has a vitamin D fact sheet with lots of interesting information for you.
• The National Institute of Health lists a great deal of information on how vitamin D can affect your health.

• Amino Acids Affecting Hair
• Foods Containing Vitamin K
• Facts About Iron

• Vitamin B12 Injections Side Effects
• Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms
• Vitamin D Overdose
• Foods High in Vitamin K
• Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

• What Is the Best Kind of Vitamin E to Buy
• Vitamin Benefit Chart
• Benefits of Vitamin A
• What Causes Vitamin D Deficiency
• Benefits of Vitamin E