Monday, November 8, 2010

Benefits of Vitamin D

Like other vitamins that our body needs, Vitamin D is very crucial to people’s overall health.  Getting enough amounts of Vitamin D helps maintain healthy bones. This is so because Vitamin D aids the absorption of calcium through the small intestine. As a result, people do not only build strong bones but they can also keep their muscles and teeth healthy.

Proper exposure to the sun is the best and the most natural source of Vitamin D that is why it is also called sunshine vitamin. It only takes 10 minutes of being under the sun to get an adequate amount of Vitamin D. Our body naturally produces this vitamin as we get enough exposure to the ultraviolet rays coming from the sun.

Other sources of Vitamin D include a lot of foods, such as fish, fortified cow’s milk, margarine, eggs, and cod liver oil, which are readily available in the market.  One can also get enough Vitamin D by taking a daily Vitamin D supplement. Adding an affordable Vitamin D supplement to your everyday diet will make you enjoy all the health benefits one can get from this sunshine vitamin.

Many research studies found out that Vitamin D can help fight cancer cells, reduce risks of getting infections of all forms, and provide protection from multiple sclerosis, autoimmune disorders, and juvenile diabetes.
In fact, many recent studies showed that a daily dose of sunshine vitamin could greatly reduce the risk of getting breast and bowel cancer, which are among the major cancer killers.

Based on the study conducted by Dennis Bourdette, who serves as the chairman of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University in the U.S., people who live in tropical places where they are more exposed to sunlight have less chances of developing multiple sclerosis.

Vitamin D is also considered an essential vitamin necessary for boosting our body’s immune system and guards us from common cold and flu. People also need this vitamin because it helps the brain to function properly as they age in life.

Inadequate level of Vitamin D in the body may lead to some health problems, such as softening of the bones, which is commonly referred to as osteomalacia in adults or rickets in children. Vitamin D deficiency may also result in abnormal bone development, intestinal malabsorption, cystic fibrosis or pancreatitis, and Graves’ disease.

You might want to consider taking a Vitamin D supplement if you feel weak or have aching muscles,  painful bones, frequent falls (among adults),  asthma (especially for children), fatigue, and exhaustion.

If you want to naturally get enough amount of Vitamin D, you must avoid places that are very cloudy or smoggy. Try to minimize the use sunscreen and steer away from window glass because all of these things lessen the amount of sunlight you will need to store Vitamin D in your body.

Whatever your age and health condition, if you think that you lack Vitamin D then start consuming foods that are mentioned above and consult a doctor for advice.