Vitamin-D is a fat-soluble vitamin which helps the body absorb and preserve calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin-D, being a nutrient is also a hormone which our body produces. Vitamin-D is significant for bone and teeth health. It promotes calcium absorption and maintains phosphate concentrations to facilitate bone production. Vitamin-D is also known for its protection against various diseases and health conditions.
Vitamin-D can be consumed by food and supplements. Our body produces vitamin in response to skin being exposed to sunlight. We also consume vitamins in various foods like fish, egg yolks, dairy products, fish liver oil etc. Deficiency of vitamin-D leads to diseases osteoporosis or rickets. Vitamin-D also helps in your nerve, muscles and immune system development.
Importance of Vitamin-D
Vitamin-D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in our body. If a person has a vitamin-D deficiency, it can lead to health conditions such as rickets in children and osteoporosis in adults. Vitamin-D is considered prominent in overall body health.
Research shows that Vitamin-D plays an important role in reducing your risks of developing chronic health conditions like sclerosis. It also decreases your chances of getting a heart attack and your likelihood of developing the flu. It is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth especially in infants as they have potential risks of developing rickets in their early childhood if they have Vitamin-D deficiency. It helps in supporting our nervous system health.
Vitamin-D regulates the insulin levels in our body. It also lessens your chances of developing cancer cells. Vitamin-D allows the intestines to absorb and retain calcium which is important for the development of healthy bones. In a nutshell, Vitamin-D possibly treats these conditions:
- Osteoporosis
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Some types of cancer
- Bone diseases
- Immune system disorders
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
Benefits of Vitamin-D
Below are the benefits of Vitamin-D
1. Strengthens the bones
Vitamin-D supports our bone and teeth health. It is known for its bone-building and strengthening powers. It absorbs the calcium in your gut which promotes bone health. Deficiency of vitamin-D leads to bone diseases. It prevents the bones to become fragile or weak. Vitamin-D mineralizes your bones which ultimately strengthens your bones.
2. Prevents high blood pressure
Vitamin-D may help in the treatment of high blood pressure which is the biggest cause of cardiovascular diseases. It may prevent the chances of organ damage and high blood pressure. A short term vitamin-D deficiency may raise this problem.
3. Healthy Pregnancy
Pregnant women who consume a robust amount of vitamin-D give birth to healthy children. Deficiency in vitamin-D may carry a higher risk of developing high blood pressure during pregnancy and giving birth preterm. Deficiency of vitamin-D may also lead to diabetes and bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy.
4. Weight loss
Yes! You heard it right. Consuming a good amount of vitamin-D supplements may help people suffering from obesity in losing weight. Adding vitamin-D to your diet helps you lose weight, though it should be taken on a specialist’s advice. Scientists say that taking vitamin-D had an appetite suppressing effect. Overweight people who take vitamin-D supplements can improve their heart disease risks.
Reduced chances of developing diabetes
Vitamin-D improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin, a hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in the body. It reduces the risk of insulin resistance which increases your chance of developing type-2 diabetes. Some scientists also believe that this vitamin may also regulate the production of insulin.
Symptoms of Vitamin-D deficiency
Vitamin-D deficiency is caused by the lack of Vitamin-D in the body. It affects your immune system and every single cell of your body has a receptor for it, so the body responds to it with different symptoms. Vitamin-D deficiency is a very common type of deficiency. Almost 1 billion people in the world suffer from Vitamin-D deficiency.
Vitamin-DSome of the common Vitamin-D deficiency includes:
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Bone and back pain
- Illness
- Hair loss
- Muscle pain
- Depression
Sources of Vitamin-D
Vitamin-D is a nutrient which is produced by your body and it is also a consumable nutrient. Our body produces vitamin-D naturally when our body is exposed to the sun. Although, we can consume Vitamin-D through various Vitamin-D rich foods and supplements.
It is believed that up to 50℅ of the world’s population do not get sunlight. This is because people spend more time indoors and wear sunblock while going outside. There are a variety of foods which you can eat to fulfil vitamin-D needs of your body. Vitamin-D is a fat-soluble nutrient which means you need to eat fat to absorb it. Foods which are high in Vitamin-D such as:
Vitamin-D- Fish
- Mushrooms
- Cod liver oil
- Egg yolks
- Orange juice
- Cereal and oatmeals etc.
These are considered to have a high vitamin-D concentration. Spending time in the sun is a good way to consume vitamin-D. Consuming Vitamin-D above listed foods can help you achieve a robust amount of vitamin-D in your body.
How much Vitamin-D should you take?
Your body’s need for taking vitamin-D depends on many factors like race, age, season, sun exposure, clothing etc. People who spend a lot of time outside or people who are more exposed to the sun should take a minimal amount of vitamin-D. However, people who mostly stay inside their house should consume more through their diet and other supplements.
Daily vitamin-D intake should be between 25-100 micrograms to ensure optimal blood levels. Make sure you do not take more than the upper limit without consulting a doctor. If you experience the symptoms of vitamin-D deficiency, you should consider talking to the doctor.
Summing up
Vitamin-D is an important nutrient which is prominent for bone and immune health. We should consume a good amount of Vitamin-D for good health. Taking too much of vitamin-D may not help you enough, instead, it may cause some side effects like constipation or high blood pressure.
If you experience any of the symptoms of Vitamin-D deficiency, talk to your health care specialist. They can help you achieve the required amount of Vitamin-D in your body. However, including a vitamin-D rich diet may help you regulate the amount of Vitamin-D in the body.
Also Read: Vitamin B12: A Dozen Solution To Health Problems
