BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D
Most commonly known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D plays a major role in many of your body’s processes. The nutrient helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body—two things that are crucial for bone and muscle health.
Though vitamin D is naturally produced when your body is exposed to sunlight and it can also be found in certain foods and as a dietary supplement, many people find it difficult to keep up with their need for the nutrient.
Vitamin D deficiency is common, especially after winter months stuck indoors. Research shows that 35% of adults in the U.S. are vitamin D deficient, putting them at risk for various health problems like brittle bone and heart disease.
If your stores are low, your doctor may recommend that you take a vitamin D supplement. But before you run off to the drugstore to pick one out, check out our guide to vitamin D below. Learn about the health benefits of vitamin D and how much you actually need.
What are the benefits of vitamin D?
Vitamin D helps your body function in multiple ways. It’s important for…
Bone health
Vitamin D has several important roles in the body including promoting healthy teeth and bones, explains Andrea Mathis, M.A., R.D.N., L.D., Owner of Beautiful Eats & Things, Author of The Complete Book of Smoothies. Vitamin D assists your body in absorbing calcium, which is one of the main building blocks of your bones, she adds.
When your body gets enough calcium and is able to process it properly, you’re less likely to develop osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones brittle and more susceptible to fractures, or osteomalacia, a disease that results in softening of the bones, according to the Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., C.D.C.E.S., F.A.N.D., registered dietitian nutritionist and author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes.
Muscle health
Research shows that 30% of phosphate absorption in the gut is dependent on vitamin D (phosphate allows you to contract your muscles). If it’s out of whack, you may experience muscle cramping, weakness, and pain.
Cognitive function
Several studies have shown that vitamin D helps with brain function by strengthening neural circuits. Low vitamin D levels have been found in those living with Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), and Parkinson’s, but it is currently unclear whether or not vitamin D can help treat or prevent these neurological diseases.
Mental health
Low vitamin D levels have been linked to increased incidences of depression, according to recent research. This doesn’t necessarily mean that vitamin D deficiency causes depression but it’s clear that vitamin D supports brain health, in general.
“Older adults with lower vitamin D levels seem to experience faster memory loss than those who have healthy levels. Also, those with lower vitamin D have an increased risk for depression, and those who have depression seem to show a lower vitamin D level,” Sheth notes about recent research on the topic.
Immune system function
Mathis says that vitamin D is essential for a healthy functioning immune system. The nutrient has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help activate the immune system and better fight off diseases, she adds.
A 2017 analysis found that vitamin D reduced the risk of acute respiratory infection when taken daily or weekly in supplement form. Researchers are now studying how vitamin D impacts COVID-19 outcomes.
Heart health
According to a 2019 review, vitamin D deficiency may raise blood pressure and damage your heart. Researchers hypothesize that supplementing with vitamin D could help treat hypertension.
But recent research has been inconclusive about the connection. “Low vitamin D levels have been associated with increased risk of heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and high blood pressure,” explains Sheth. “However, we need more data to understand if the low vitamin D status causes heart disease or if the low level of vitamin D is a marker of poor health in chronic disease.”
What are the best sources of vitamin D?
In general, sunlight is a great source of vitamin D—especially in the spring and summer when you can spend lots of time outdoors. As soon as sunlight (specifically UVB rays) contacts your skin, your body converts it to vitamin D, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
That said, there are several factors that play into how much vitamin D your body produces: the season, time of day, length of the day, clouds, smog, your skin color, and particularly the amount of time you spend outside. (Sorry! As sunny as your home may get during the day, UVB can’t travel through windows.)
Wearing sunscreen can also limit the amount of vitamin D your body gets from the sun, but it’s best to apply it every single day to minimize your skin cancer risk. Experts agree that getting up to 15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen two to three times a week is a great way to fill up on vitamin D, but even that short exposure can add up in your lifetime, increasing your risk for genetic mutations that lead to skin cancer, per the Skin Cancer Foundation. The upside: Even if you apply sunscreen perfectly, some of the sun’s UVB rays (the ones that trigger vitamin D synthesis) will get to your skin—and research shows that people can still have sufficient levels even with SPF use.
And for the dark, chilly months when soaking up some sun rays isn’t an option, you can also get plenty of vitamin D from certain foods. Mathis says her go-to vitamin D-rich foods are fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, herring, mackerel, trout, or tuna, and fortified foods like milk and some breakfast cereals.
According to the USDA, other foods packed with vitamin D include red meat, cheese, egg yolks, and mushrooms that have been exposed to UV light.
How much vitamin D should you get each day?
It can be tricky to figure out how much vitamin D you need since different health organizations recommend different amounts. Your age plays a major role in how much you need and other instances (like breastfeeding or pregnancy) may require more of the nutrient, so it’s best to discuss your specific needs with a medical professional, Mathis says. Because a vitamin D deficiency often presents as little to no symptoms, your doctor can check your levels with a blood test, she adds.
Here are the current daily vitamin D suggestions from the NIH:
Children up to 12 months: 400 IU
People age 1 to 70 years: 600 IU
Adults 71 years and older: 800 IU
Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 600 IU
Do you need to take a vitamin D supplement?
The short answer: Probably not. Mathis says as long as you focus on getting vitamin D-rich foods into your diet and some sunlight, you’re likely getting enough.
“Unless you’re at a high risk for vitamin D deficiency, there’s probably no need to take a supplement,” says Sabitha Rajan, M.D., a board-certified internist who works in research and development for the inpatient and surgical guidelines at MCG Health.
High-risk groups include:
Breast-feeding infants. Breastmilk and formula often don’t have enough vitamin D for newborns.
People who have celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, or any disorder that hinders nutrient absorption from fat.
People who can’t or don’t often go outdoors to get sun exposure.
People who have darker skin. It’s harder for their bodies (compared to people with lighter skin) to synthesize vitamin D from UVB rays.
People who are malnourished or who don’t eat enough vitamin D-rich foods.
People who follow a vegan or plant-based diet and don’t consume enough vitamin D fortified foods or supplements.
Elderly adults. As you age, your ability to make vitamin D from the sun decreases.
When in doubt, it is always a good idea to ask your doctor if you would benefit from taking a vitamin D supplement.
What’s the difference between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3?
There are two forms of vitamin D, according to the NIH.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the type your skin produces when you get sunlight. It’s also found in animal products like the oily fish mentioned above.
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes from plant sources like mushrooms and yeast. They, too, produce their own vitamin D when they are exposed to UVB rays. This is the type you’ll find in most fortified foods.
Both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 contribute to your body’s vitamin D levels and are fat-soluble vitamins, Mathis says.
Some doctors suggest that D3 is the better choice when it comes to supplementation. This is partially because research has shown that D3 increases the vitamin D in your blood more efficiently than D2. According to Dr. Rajan, D3 may be a more stable vitamin, particularly when it exists in fortified foods. In other words, cereal fortified with D2 may degrade faster than cereal enhanced with D3.
Overall, the studies comparing D2 and D3’s efficacy and shelf stability are mixed so “we can’t say with 100% certainty which one would be better,” says Dr. Rajan. “If you find a supplement that you like that can help you meet the daily recommendation, that would be fine. There is no hard and fast rule.”
When navigating the vitamin aisle at the store, though, you want to make sure you’re grabbing a quality product. Many supplements are not regulated by the FDA so you may want to ask your physician for a recommendation, suggests Dr. Rajan. You can also read the labels to see if the company has been accredited by third parties that evaluate quality such as: NSF International, the Dietary Supplement Verification Program, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).
Is it possible to take too much vitamin D?
Yes. Whichever supplement you choose, it’s important to take the recommended dose. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means you don’t just pee it out when you take too much, says Dr. Rajan. According to the NIH, the daily upper limit for adults is 4,000 IU, and taking 60,000 IU a day is considered toxic. Vitamin D toxicity is rare but when it occurs it can cause kidney stones, bone pain, muscle weakness, nausea, and vomiting.
Luckily, you can’t overdose on vitamin D that comes from food or the sun. “It would be really hard to do because your body regulates how much you absorb when you eat and when you are in sunlight,” says Dr. Rajan. You’d have to eat a lot of food to get vitamin D poisoning.
The bottom line: Vitamin D is a crucial nutrient for maintaining your health.
While diet and sunlight can usually provide enough vitamin D, some people may need to take a supplement. Vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are both great options—particularly since science hasn’t proven if one is better than the other. But of course, always talk to your doctor before adding a new supplement to your health regimen.
Try 200+ at home workout videos from Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Prevention, and more on All Out Studio free for 14 days!
SOURCE: https://www.verywellmind.com
.jpeg)
Comments
Post a Comment