Vitamin D: Health Benefits, Food Sources, And Potential Health Risks

[LoShiNi]

Vitamin D is called ‘the sunshine vitamin’ because it is produced in response to sunlight. This vitamin is fat-soluble and can affect 2000 genes in the human body.

Having enough vitamin D is crucial for a number of reasons, including healthy teeth and bones. It plays a huge role in regulating the absorption of phosphorus and calcium and helps your immune system stay healthy and strong. Getting a sufficient amount of vitamin D is crucial for resistance to certain diseases. It also supports heart and lung condition.


Despite the name, vitamin D isn’t actually a vitamin: it is a pro-hormone. Vitamins can’t be synthesized by your organism and must be taken in through foods. However, vitamin D is produced by your own body when it is directly exposed to sunlight.

Here are four health benefits of vitamin D

1. Vitamin D helps fight certain diseases.

Researchers claim that vitamin D can reduce your risk of multiple sclerosis. According to a 2008 study published in Circulation, this nutrient decreases the chances of developing heart disease. Vitamin D also helps lower your risk of catching the flu according to 2010 findings published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.



2. Vitamin D may ease the symptoms of depression.

Experts say that vitamin D may play a significant role in regulating mood. One study demonstrated that people with depression who took vitamin D showed the improvement in their symptoms.



3. Vitamin D can boost weight loss.

In one research, people taking a daily vitamin D and calcium supplements managed to lose more weight than people taking a placebo. Experts believe that extra vitamin D and calcium work as appetite suppressants.



4. Vitamin D may prevent cancer.

Vitamin D is very important for cell growth and cell-to-cell communication. Certain studies have suggested that calcitriol (the hormonally active form of vitamin D) can lower cancer progression. As it turns out, vitamin D slows the growth of new blood vessels in the cancerous tissues.


Vitamin D sources

Sunlight is the most common source of vitamin D, but some foods also contain it naturally. They include salmon, sardines, egg yolks, and shrimps. Some foods, such as milk and yogurts, can be fortified, in other words, vitamin D has been added to make them healthier.

Remember that some unexpected products may be a good source of those vitamins which you need. For example, these foods contain big dose of vitamin C:


It may be difficult to consume enough vitamin D each day through diet and sunlight so that vitamin D supplements can help.

Potential health risks

Too much of vitamin D can lead to over-calcification of bones and hardening of kidney, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. The most common signs of hypervitaminosis D are nausea and headache. They also may include dry mouth, diarrhea, and constipation. It is the best to consume your required vitamin D from natural sources. And always consult with your doctor before using vitamin supplements.