Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” plays an integral part in stimulating bone growth and preventing brittle bones. Furthermore, Vitamin D plays a significant role in strengthening muscles which may reduce falls.
Vitamin D’s benefits extend far beyond calcium homeostasis and bone health; recent research has also implicated low vitamin D levels with various extraskeletal conditions.
1. Bone Health
Although genetics and other external influences play a role in how much bone mass we lose as we age, we can still support bone health with diet, exercise and supplements containing the ideal combination of key nutrients for bone health. Beyond Health’s Bone Mineral Formula contains 29 essential bone-building nutrients in bioavailable forms to promote optimal bone health.
Calcium is essential to bone health, and Vitamin D plays a key role in our bodies absorbing this essential mineral. Most people can receive their required daily dosage through foods like salmon, tuna and sardines; fortified dairy products; or by spending 10 minutes without sunscreen outdoors each day to produce their natural vitamin D production from within their skin cells.
Regular exercise is vital to bone health, particularly weight bearing activities that stimulate bones to strengthen and stay dense. Furthermore, it’s advised to reduce risk factors that increase the likelihood of falls and fractures, such as eliminating hazards in the home, taking classes like Tai Chi to enhance balance and coordination, or getting enough sleep.
Bone density tests are available to assess current bone strength and predict risk for future fractures. These tests assess your bone density and give a T-score or Z-score, which compares it against what would be considered normal range for your age, gender and body size.
2. Immune System
Vitamin D has long been recognized for its ability to support bone health, while also being essential in building up immunity and combatting diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Studies indicate that lack of Vitamin D could increase cancer risks as well as other issues in a person’s life.
Our bodies produce vitamin D when exposed to direct sunlight. Sunlight transforms a chemical in our skin cells (25-hydroxylase from liver and 1-alpha-hydroxylase from kidney) into vitamin D, which is then absorbed by our bloodstream and used by your body to absorb calcium, an essential element for bone development.
Vitamin D supports your immune system by helping it balance adaptive and innate responses, stimulating macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer cells that fight infections – macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer cells are among those involved – by binding to their receptor sites on immune cells involved in fighting infections such as macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer cells. Vitamin D metabolites stimulate these immune cells to produce antimicrobial and antiviral proteins that will aid the body against infections.
Vitamin D also enhances muscle function. When cells receive enough vitamin D, they’re better equipped to respond and contract in response to forces placed upon muscles, preventing weak ones from falling over and risking serious injury. A study published by Journal of the Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons demonstrated this correlation – researchers discovered that older adults with lower vitamin D levels were more prone to falls than those who had higher levels of the vitamin.
3. Cardiovascular Health
Vitamin D plays an integral part in cardiovascular health by helping maintain muscle contractility, electric signaling and vascular tone. However, supplement calcium should not replace leading a healthy lifestyle and diet.
The D-Health Trial, published in The BMJ, followed 21,315 people 60 and over over five years to determine whether consuming vitamin D as part of their diet reduced heart attack or stroke incidence. Participants received one capsule containing either 60,000 IU of vitamin D or placebo and underwent bloodwork and bone mineral density tests both prior to starting the study as well as at three years.
Researchers found that people taking vitamin D supplements experienced a nine percent lower rate of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke than people in the placebo group, regardless of race. This trend held true across cultures.
Dr. Cheng-Han Chen from MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, California told Medical News Today that the findings do not show conclusively that vitamin D can reduce cardiovascular disease rates. Instead, other factors may have played a part in different results for those taking and those not taking supplements; vitamin D benefits cardiovascular health by reducing cholesterol, thus decreasing risks of heart attack and stroke and may help treat high blood pressure as another risk factor for such events.
4. Mental Health
Studies have revealed that people suffering from certain mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, tend to have lower vitamin D levels compared to those without any mood disorders. Low vitamin D intake increases risk and could even contribute to its development; as such it’s essential that everyone take steps to maintain an appropriate vitamin D intake level for good mental health.
Epidemiological evidence points to vitamin D’s involvement in an array of chronic diseases and conditions, including multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and forms of depression. Vitamin D deficiency has become an epidemic worldwide – far too many people don’t get enough Vitamin D through sunlight exposure, food consumption or supplements.
Attributing lack of vitamin D levels to diet alone is easy enough; simply adding more fish or taking vitamin D supplements regularly may increase your vitamin D levels, and should help boost vitamin D production in general. When considering this approach, be sure to talk to your physician first for the best solution for you and be aware that they may recommend blood tests as a measure of how you relate with overall health issues; ultimately though, the key to healthy vitamin D consumption lies with spending at least 20 minutes each week outside in sunshine; high dose supplements could actually negate potential positive benefits if taken too frequently or in excess.
