Are You Getting Enough Sunshine Vitamin?
Vitamin D (Vit D) is an essential nutrient needed by human beings to lead a healthy life. It enables the body to absorb calcium, promotes bone growth and plays significant role in immune functions. Also called the “sunshine vitamin”, as it’s produced in the body due to the skin’s response to sunlight. Vitamin D in its natural form cannot be used by the body and is converted to an active form by the liver or kidney. It is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in two main forms – Vitamin D2, known as ergocalciferol, and Vitamin D3, known as cholecalciferol. The difference between D2 and D3 is the source from which it can be availed. Vitamin D3 is available in foods that come from animal sources, including fatty fish (like salmon, tuna, mackerel & sardines), fish oils, cheese, egg and liver. While vitamin D2 is available in plant-based food such as mushrooms (grown in UV light), fortified foods and supplements.
The daily recommended vitamin D for children & adults (1 year to 70 years) is 600 IU (15 mcg); Pregnant and lactating women also need 600 IU (15 mcg). Infants (birth to 12 months) require 400 IU (10 mcg) of vitamin D, while for people over 70 years of age it’s 800 IU (20 mcg) per day.
Benefits of Vitamin D
The sunshine vitamin plays a significant role in your body, as the level of Vit D in your blood is linked to overall health. Here are some health benefits connected to vitamin D.
Bone and muscle health
Vitamin D plays a vital role in maintaining bone health by stimulating absorption of calcium and maintaining the blood-phosphorus level. This fat-soluble vitamin helps the intestines to absorb calcium and reclaim calcium, which would otherwise be excreted by the kidney. Humans need sufficient amount of vitamin D for bone & teeth formation as well as for normal growth.
Vitamin D transforms to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) and enter into muscle cells, affecting its nucleus. This improves the ability of the cells to contract. It directly affects the muscles’ strength and response, as the body’s muscles work by contraction and relaxation.
Immune function
The body needs adequate quantity of vitamin D for normal functioning of the immune system. Besides, it enables better resistance towards specific diseases. The immune cells have receptors for Vit D, like the rest of the body. Any deficiency in the sunshine vitamin leads to lowered immunity, leaving the body vulnerable to illness and diseases. The common cold and flu is an indication of lowered immunity, as per scientific studies.
Lungs, kidney and heart health
Research has shown that vitamin D helps to keep the lungs healthy as it has anti-inflammatory properties. Adequate quantity of vitamin D in the body will help in maintaining healthy lungs.
The fat-soluble vitamin aids in regulating kidney functions, and also plays a positive role in treatment of kidney diseases. Vitamin D prevents hardening of blood vessels and reduces hypertension. Maintaining the required vitamin D levels in your blood will prevent risks associated with high blood pressure and promote heart health.
Prevents depression
Vitamin D helps in regulating mood and may be supportive in alleviating depression. Several studies have shown that people with symptoms of anxiety and depressions were also vitamin D deficient. On taking vitamin D supplements, these individuals were benefited and showed improvement in their symptoms.
Weight loss
People trying to lose weight may be able to shed more by taking daily dose of vitamin D supplements along with calcium supplements. The extra calcium and Vit D in the body supresses appetite and helps in weight loss.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Hypovitaminosis D or Vitamin D deficiency means your body has less than the required levels of this essential nutrient to stay healthy. Low vitamin D is linked to several diseases and health conditions such as high blood pressure (HBP), diabetes and multiple sclerosis. Deficiency of Vitamin D can cause rickets in children – a health condition marked by bowlegged appearance of limbs, due to softening of bones; While in adults it causes osteomalacia, implying softening of bones, leading to porosity of bone and muscle weakness.
Some clinical studies suggest that people who are vitamin D deficient may have risks associated with certain types of cancer, including colon, breast and prostate cancer. However, other studies suggest that higher levels of vitamin D may be a cause of pancreatic cancer. Researchers are quick to warn that such studies are at an early stage and the results cannot be taken as definite.
Several factors are responsible for vitamin D deficiency, which includes a diet poor in vitamin D, malabsorption of Vit D, lack of exposure to sunlight, and inability of liver or kidney to transform vitamin D to its active form. Besides, other medicines you take may prevent absorption of vitamin D.
The takeaway
While it won’t be an exaggeration to state that vitamin D is essential for human life, but too much of the good thing can be harmful. Medical fraternity has recorded cases of excess consumption of vitamin D leading to bone calcification, stiffening of blood vessels and the tissues of organs like kidney, lungs and heart. Risks arise due to excessive intake of vitamin D supplements, which can be avoided by sticking to natural sources of this vitamin.
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