How Does Vitamin D Improve Our Health?
Our bodies produce Vitamin D as a response to direct sunlight exposure and can also be boosted through a range of foods and supplements. Vitamin D is essential in a number of ways which we will explore throughout this article. Firstly, it is important to realise that Vitamin D is not actually a Vitamin, it is a prohormone, or a precursor of a hormone that is important in every day bodily functions.
Vitamin D Benefits
Vitamin D plays a number of different roles in our bodies leading to many health benefits. It supports the regulation and maintenance of both calcium and phosphorus in our blood stream which is vital for healthy bone and teeth structure.
It is extremely important for our children to get a regular Vitamin D intake as a deficiency can lead to rickets due to the softening of bones. In adults, the softening of bones (osteomalacia) causes muscular weakness and poor bone density. Vitamin D is key for muscle strength which in turn prevents falls. Deficiency is a very common problem in older adults and often leads to substantial disabilities and even death.
A number of studies revealed that Vitamin D is linked to a reduction in depression and those that suffered the worst from anxiety were found to have Vitamin D deficiency.
Immunity
Vitamin D can also help to build immunity and supports the immune system by fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses. This has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic and we should be making every effort to strengthen our immune systems to fight off these viral infections such as Influenza and Coronavirus.
The direct link between Vitamin D and the immune system has been recognised for over 35 years and the benefits are becoming clearer every day. There are two types of immune system, the innate system (infection fighting) and the adaptive system (antibody production). Vitamin D balances both of these systems which explains why it is so effective in preventing infection and disease.
Boosting Vitamin D
There are a number of ways in which you can boost your own intake of Vitamin D. The most natural way is regular exposure to sunlight with experts recommending between 10-20 minutes of exposure around midday several times a week. Not only does this give you a sufficient Vitamin D intake, but it also avoids the risk of skin cancer.
Vitamin D lasts for around 2 months within our bodies, so stock up in the summer months and look for alternative methods during the winter. Supplements such as Vitamin D3 or D2 are a great way of getting Vitamin D into the body during the colder months, where viruses and bacterial infections are more common.
It is recommended that anyone above the age of four should take around 10 micrograms of Vitamin D daily, especially in the winter months. There is huge variation on the recommended daily intake of Vitamin D depending on factors such as your location, age, season and individual circumstances. We recommend that you seek professional advice from a qualified nutritionist so that you can get maximum benefits from Vitamin D.
