{"id":401,"date":"2017-06-01T02:53:54","date_gmt":"2017-06-01T02:53:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=401"},"modified":"2021-03-11T19:32:28","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T19:32:28","slug":"17-benefits-vitamin-d","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/17-benefits-vitamin-d\/","title":{"rendered":"17 Benefits of Vitamin D"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Vitamin D is a vitamin that we don\u2019t get from the diet but rather from exposure to sunlight. This encourages the body to naturally produce more vitamin D, which in turn has a large number of important benefits for our health.<\/p>\n

The issue is that many of us just don\u2019t get the vitamin D we need. We are prone to working desk-bound jobs, to driving from place to place and to spending our evenings crashed out in front of the TV. It\u2019s no surprise then that a large proportion of the US is highly deficient in vitamin D\u2026 and no surprise either that we are suffering many consequences as a result of this.<\/p>\n

And of course the news only gets worse if you live in a cold state, or if you are perhaps reading this from rainy England!<\/p>\n

There are ways around this. One very good option for example is to consume vitamin D in supplement<\/a> form. There are many of these available which can add a good dose of vitamin D to your diet. Another option is simply to make the effort to spend more time outdoors. Why not join a class? Or perhaps just get off your bus a stop early and walk the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

In this study, we\u2019ll take a look at some of the reasons that you should consider taking extra vitamin D or at least going the extra mile to spend more time outdoors!<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0It Helps You Sleep<\/h3>\n

Getting more vitamin D in your diet can help you to sleep better and to wake up more refreshed and focused as a result. This might have something to do with the way the body links vitamin D to sunlight. Our bodies use cues from the world around us \u2013 such as sunlight \u2013 in order to ascertain what time it is and thereby regulate our body clocks. Sunlight and the result of vitamin D tells us its morning and time for the body to start producing cortisol and nitric oxide<\/a> to wake up. By be d time, the body knows it\u2019s time for sleep and gets into a sleep-ready state.<\/p>\n

Whatever the reason, a lot of respected bloggers such as the \u2018Bulletproof Exec\u2019 suggest taking vitamin D in the morning and report that it helps them to sleep better.<\/p>\n

\"\"2. \u00a0It Boosts Testosterone<\/h3>\n

Taking vitamin D supplements may also help to elevate levels of the male hormone testosterone<\/a>. This in turn has a large number of benefits, from increasing muscle mass, to enhancing the sex drive and even boosting masculine (positive) aggression. Testosterone is what makes you an \u2018alpha male\u2019.<\/p>\n

The way this works is again unclear but it is likely to do with the ability vitamin D has to regulate the release of other hormones. It is sometimes described as being a kind of \u2018master key\u2019 for our hormones in fact.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. \u00a0Build Stronger Bones<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D helps you to build stronger bones. It does this by improving the uptake of calcium which is in turn used as a key building block to create the bones.<\/p>\n

In this way, vitamin D may be able to prevent and treat osteoporosis<\/a> and even to help prevent breaks and sprains. This is particularly important as we get older!<\/p>\n

\"\"4. \u00a0Regulate Insulin Levels<\/h3>\n

Studies show that consuming vitamin D can also help to regulate insulin levels in order to improve insulin sensitivity.<\/p>\n

In other words, this means that the body will become more adept at absorbing sugar and glucose<\/a> from the blood stream and helping us use it as energy rather than storing it as fat.<\/p>\n

\"\"5. \u00a0Combat Diabetes<\/h3>\n

In fact, vitamin D might be able to go as far as to help with diabetes<\/a> management and to reduce the likelihood of developing it in the first place. For those with a family history of vitamin D, this makes supplementation an even better idea!<\/p>\n

This benefit all comes down to the ability of vitamin D to regulate hormones and to help our natural cycles and rhythms. The production of insulin in itself is tightly tied to our cycles and this is because our intake of food is closely linked to our sleep cycles. You can actually alter your body clock by changing when you eat!<\/p>\n

\"\"6. \u00a0Support Lung Function<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D can support lung function, helping us to breathe more effectively, take in more oxygen<\/a> and avoid various conditions that negatively affect respiration.<\/p>\n

This might also help to improve athletic performance, as the ability to take in oxygen and then use it to fuel the muscles is key in this regard.<\/p>\n

\"\"7. \u00a0Weight Loss<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D might help us to better manage weight gain<\/a>. It could do this again by affecting our natural rhythms and cycles and in this case by suppressing our appetite so that we feel less hungry when we shouldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n

At the same time, this might help to support weight loss. This will be further enhanced by the increased muscle mass, better sleep and increased insulin sensitivity!<\/p>\n

\"\"8. \u00a0Improved Athletic Performance<\/h3>\n

We already mentioned that the boost in lung function could translate to better athletic performance but it goes beyond this. Vitamin D can also help to improve energy efficiency as seen by enhancing insulin sensitivity.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve also seen that it helps to build muscle mass and an increase in testosterone will also correlate with greater strength and with greater lean mass.<\/p>\n

The increase calcium uptake can also make us better athletes. That\u2019s because calcium doesn\u2019t only strengthen the bones but is also important for our all-round strength. It can strengthen connective tissues<\/a> for instance and has been shown to boost muscular contractions. All this means that you can experience more muscle mass, greater strength and more energy!<\/p>\n

\"\"9. \u00a0More Energy<\/h3>\n

Speaking of which, increased energy is in itself a great advantage of adding vitamin D to your diet. This is again accomplished in a number of ways that combine to provide huge results. Getting better sleep will for example give you more energy when you wake.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve already discussed how greater insulin sensitivity and greater lung performance can also enhance your energy levels in an athletic situation.<\/p>\n

And vitamin D can also boost the mood which is a great advantage too. For all these reasons, vitamin D is an important nutrient<\/a> to add to the diet if you want to feel more energetic and more awake when you start the day and thereby get more done and feel better doing it!<\/p>\n

\"\"10. \u00a0Mood<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D is actually a big mood booster and can help us to feel happier throughout the day. Again, this is linked with the regulation of various different hormones<\/a> but it\u2019s also something that many of us will know intuitively.<\/p>\n

Have you ever stood outside in the sun and felt it really give you a mood boost? Have you ever noticed how everyone waves and says hello when the sun is out?<\/p>\n

Part of the reason for all this, is that sunlight combats a condition called SAD. SAD is \u2018Seasonal Affective Disorder\u2019 and this is a condition where certain people feel demotivated and potentially even depressed when it is dark during winter. One possible reason for this is a deficiency of vitamin D!<\/p>\n

\"\"11. \u00a0Reduced Flu Risk<\/h3>\n

Getting vitamin D during the winter might perk up your mood by combating SAD then. But did you know there\u2019s another reason it\u2019s good to take during winter? That\u2019s because can greatly increase your resistance to colds, flus and other kinds of infection.<\/p>\n

One recent study found that supplementing with vitamin D was almost as good for you as taking a vaccine<\/a> against colds and flus. It was concluded that fortifying the diet with vitamin D might actually save millions or even billions in national health expenses!<\/p>\n

\"\"12. \u00a0Healthier Children<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D might be especially good for children and could help to prevent the development of asthma, eczema<\/a> and other allergic diseases.<\/p>\n

It seems that vitamin D can also help to prevent the severity of atopic children\u2019s disease. It can reduce the stiffness of the arterial walls in children with only 400 IU\/day given over the course of 16 weeks.<\/p>\n

This is an especially good reason to encourage those children in your life to spend a little less time playing games consoles and a little more time playing outside!<\/p>\n

\"\"13. \u00a0Pregnancy<\/h3>\n

It turns out that vitamin D might also be important for women who are pregnant. A deficiency in vitamin D has been shown to be linked to a higher than average risk of preeclampsia<\/a> and of needing a cesarian.<\/p>\n

Diabetes mellitus and bacterial vaginosis are also more likely to occur in pregnant women who are deficient in the nutrient. Again, it\u2019s a good reason for parents to spend more time outdoors or if this is impossible, to increase their intake of vitamin D via a supplement!<\/p>\n

\"\"14. \u00a0Anti Cancer<\/h3>\n

Vitamin D has potent anti-cancer<\/a> properties. Vitamin D plays a key role in regulating the growth of new cells and is also a key player in cell-to-cell communication.<\/p>\n

It has been shown in some studies that the hormone calcitriol (which is what vitamin D gets converted into) is able to slow the growth of new blood vessels in cancerous tissues and to reduce the proliferation and metastases.<\/p>\n

Vitamin D has a key role in gene expression too: influencing over 200 human genes specifically. This might be impaired when vitamin D is suboptimal.<\/p>\n

\"\"15. \u00a0Stronger Teeth<\/h3>\n

We\u2019ve already seen that vitamin D can strengthen the bones by encouraging the uptake of calcium<\/a>. Of course it should also follow then that it can help to strengthen the teeth, seeing as these are made from bone!<\/p>\n

Increasing vitamin D intake might thus be able to give you whiter, stronger teeth with a lower likelihood of losing teeth to plaque or even impact.<\/p>\n

\"\"16. \u00a0Skin<\/h3>\n

Many people like spending time in the sun in order to get a tan, but they should be aware that this is not good for them. Being in the sun causes damage due to radiation and a tan is actually sign of that damage.<\/p>\n

That said though, vitamin D is good for the skin. In fact, light exposure is one of the best known treatments for psoriasis<\/a> \u2013 the condition that causes the abnormal growth of skin cells resulting in flaky, unappealing plaques.<\/p>\n

This is likely to do with the power of vitamin D over the immune system (psoriasis is an autoimmune disease).<\/p>\n

\"\"17. \u00a0Heart Health<\/h3>\n

Finally, vitamin D can also improve heart health. One study showed that a deficiency could reduce the likelihood of cardiovascular disease as well as hypertension<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It appears to be able to reduce inflammation, to combat arterial plaque and generally to encourage health and normal blood flow. A separate study showed that it could improve blood flow to the brain.<\/p>\n

\"\"Conclusion<\/h3>\n

Actually, vitamin D deficiency has been linked to countless different illnesses and conditions including multiple sclerosis, autism<\/a>, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer\u2019s disease and even swine flu! It has been shown to make asthma more severe, as well as eczema and many more associations are coming out all the time.<\/p>\n

When you consider the incredible benefits of vitamin D and the dangers of deficiency, it becomes instantly clear that this is something you should seek to get more of in your diet or through your exposure to sunlight. The latter is preferable of course because being outside also means fresh air and exercise in most cases!<\/p>\n\r\n

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