Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body produces when exposed to sunlight. It has many important functions such as regulating calcium and phosphate levels in your blood, helping your muscles to contract properly, as well supporting healthy immune function. This blog post will go over all about this vitamin and why vitamin D is important for your body.
What you will learn
What is vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that the body produces by exposure to sunlight or taking supplements.
What vitamins are in it?
It’s made up of four naturally occurring compounds – ergocalciferol, cholecalciferol, dihydrotachysterol, and calcitriol.
Why Vitamin D is Important for your health:
- Maintains healthy bones and teeth;
- Prevent cancer by controlling cell growth;
- Improves your mood;
- Helps to regulate the immune system;
- Supports a healthy response to infection.
- Healthy hair growth;
- Helps to regulate blood pressure;
- Supports healthy brain and nerve function.
What foods contain high doses of Vitamin D?
Some of the best sources in foods are :
- salmon
- tuna and mackerel which have been canned in oil or water with added salt – these fish will provide you 500-700 IU per serving.
- eggs
- fortified cereals
- most dairy products such as milk and yogurt.
Vitamin D Overdose
Overdose of this vitamin can happen if you get too much sun or eat too many supplements.
Symptoms of overdose include:
- headache
- nausea
- vomiting
- muscle weakness (especially in the arms and legs)
- joint pain
- bone pain
- constipation
- confusion
- In severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening kidney failure.
Vitamin D and Sunshine
When we are exposed to sunlight, a hormone called cholecalciferol is activated which starts a process that leads to the creation of more active forms of vitamin d within cells. Our skin synthesizes varying amounts depending on how much sun exposure you have had all day long as well as what time it is when you’re outside (e.g., midday hours will expose your skin to UV rays for shorter periods). Being inside during daylight hours won’t generate any form or level of vitamin D because windows don’t contain enough ultraviolet light — even if they reflect some natural light from outdoors.
If you are taking a supplement the recommended dose is 400 IU/day for children and adults.
If you live in a colder area with limited sunshine throughout the year, you may need a supplement to help make up for the additional intake.
Low Vitamin D and Muscular Sclerosis
Did you know that vitamin D has been linked to muscular sclerosis?
Muscular sclerosis is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS) and can cause problems with muscle weakness, pain, spasms, stiffness, or tightness.
Studies have shown that people that develop MS have a lower level of this vitamin in their blood.
However, one study has shown that people with MS who are taking high doses of the supplement had fewer symptoms and better function than those not on the supplement.
The recommended dosage for someone with muscular sclerosis is 4000 IU/day. Anyone concerned about giving themselves too much should speak to their doctor first before making any changes!
If you think there might be something wrong due to your body’s reaction to medications or supplements visit an emergency room immediately! The most frequent symptom from an overdose would be pain in muscles which can eventually cause muscle breakdown if untreated. It could also lead to kidney damage as well as heart problems.
Low Vitamin D and Cancer
There have been studies that prove vitamin D could help to prevent cancer.
This vitamin is important for our bodies in so many ways, from bone health to muscle function and much more! It’s a vitamin the body can’t produce on its own so we need to get it through food or supplements.
Most people who are at risk for low levels include those with darker skin, living in northern latitudes where there isn’t enough sunlight year-round (or any during fall/winter), have long work hours indoors without windows that allow light exposure, live far away from the equator, or too little sun exposure.
Low Vitamin D Levels and Hair Loss
Would you believe a deficiency in this vitamin can cause hair loss? The body needs vitamin D to create normal amounts of the hormone that regulates hair growth and deficiency can cause an increase in a protein called “TGF-beta” which is responsible for decreasing the production of new cells, slowing down cell turnover as well as limiting your ability to regenerate healthy skin.
The human body relies on sunlight for producing the necessary levels. The most common way people become deficient in this nutrient is through lack of sun exposure due to factors like living in the north.
Conclusion
At last, that is why vitamin D is important. It is a crucial vitamin for bone health, but it also has been shown to be necessary for the prevention of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. The best way to get enough is through exposure to sunlight or by taking supplements. If you are not sure if you’re getting enough from either of these sources, talk with your doctor about testing your levels!
