The Importance of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin your body needs to function at its best. It is sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin” because it is produced by the sun’s rays and our bodies absorb it through the skin. It is also found in whole-fat dairy products. Wherever you get it from, you need it for healthy bones, as well as a wide variety of other benefits.
Vitamin D is actually a hormone the kidneys produce that controls blood calcium concentration and impacts the immune system. It is also known as calcitriol, ergocalciferol, calcidiol and cholecalciferol.
Stradtman Family Wellness can help get your blood tested to find out your current levels of this crucial vitamin.
1. Strong bones:
Our bones are made of calcium, and our bodies need an ongoing supply of calcium for overall health and bone maintenance. Vitamin D helps stimulate the calcium in our body. If your Vitamin D levels are low, your body will not be able to deposit to your bones; instead, that calcium will be deposited into your bloodstream. Without the nutrients they need, your bones will begin to weaken and you may become more prone to breaks and fractures.
2. Cardiovascular health:
Daily consumption of vitamin D may help protect you from a range of heart diseases like sudden cardiac arrest or heart failure.
3. Improved blood pressure:
Daily vitamin D supplements may help reduce high blood pressure, especially if taken when your blood pressure spikes.
4. Elasticity of arteries:
Healthy vitamin D levels can help maintain and improve the elasticity of your arteries, avoiding the hardening of arteries that leads to poor cardiovascular health.
5. Improved muscle function:
It is not only your bones that suffer from low vitamin D; your muscles start to weaken as well when you suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D can help strengthen muscles, improve their performance, and increase stamina.
6. Decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes:
Some studies have indicated that individuals who consume the recommended amount of Vitamin D on a daily basis may actually have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes than those who did not.
7. Reduced risk of cancer:
Daily consumption of vitamin D may help reduce the risk of various cancers, such as ovarian, lung, breast, throat, colon, and prostate. Vitamin D may help reduce the rate at which cancer cells spread from one to another, possibly contributing to both the prevention and treatment of cancer.
8. Guard against viral diseases:
Vitamin D may help protect our body from viral diseases like the flu and help us recover from illnesses more quickly.
9. Reduced risk of preeclampsia:
Preeclampsia is a condition caused by low vitamin D and affects primarily pregnant women. This condition was previously known as toxemia and it causes high blood pressure, high amounts of protein in their urine, kidney damage and many other life-threatening problems to both the mother and the baby. Vitamin D may help prevent preeclampsia and promote a healthy pregnancy.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8642450
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31526611
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32967126/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28341729
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16380576/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14961167/
This article is for entertainment purposes only and is not designed to treat or diagnose any condition. It’s always best to speak with your healthcare provider about proper dosages of any vitamin to take and whether or not they may interact with anything you’re presently taking.
