Sunshine Vitamin: Why Vitamin D is Essential for your Health
Have you felt the rays of the morning sun make you feel fuzzy, warm, and absolutely fantastic? It is partly because the body soaks up its daily dose of Vitamin D. This amazing vitamin has some impressive health vitamins that we are going to dive into.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D isn’t just another regular vitamin. Unlike other vitamins that we solely get from the food we eat, Vitamin D stands out. Why? This is because our bodies can actually make their own Vitamin D, all it needs is some rays from the sun.
However, it is not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Vitamin D comes in 2 forms – D2, and D3.
Vitamin D2 – it is also known as ergocalciferol. We get it from plant sources, and fortified foods such as mushrooms.
Vitamin D3 – it is also called cholecalciferol. It is the form that our bodies produce naturally when our skin absorbs the sun. We can also get vitamin D3 from certain animal-based foods such as cheese, fatty fish, and egg yolks.
Together, Vitamin D2 and D3 play a major role in our health. So, whether you’re having a bowl of mushroom pasta or catching some sun rays, you are doing your body a vitamin-filled favour.
Importance of Vitamin D in our Bodies
- Vitamin D is a health champion. It plays a significant role in making sure our bones are strong by helping with calcium absorption, which is key in avoiding conditions like osteoporosis.
- Vitamin D offers support to our immune system. It strengthens our defences, so that the body gets better at fighting off bacteria. and viruses.
- When it comes to heart health, Vitamin D is a champion. It is involved actively in keeping blood pressure balanced. It also contributes to the well-being of our cardiovascular system.
- Vitamin D is also mindful of our mental health. It is a positive influence to our mood, and it is also involved in some brain functions.
- Not forgetting muscles, Vitamin D helps muscles work properly, supporting their contraction, and relaxation, which is crucial for physical activity.
In summary, Vitamin D is versatile when it comes to supporting our health.
Symptoms, and Consequences of Vitamin D Deficiency
When Vitamin D is deficient in the body, some uncomfortable symptoms may occur. Fatigue is one of the most common signs that vitamin D levels might be low.
Fatigue – this isn’t the usual fatigue we often feel from a busy day or a poor night’s sleep – it is often a persistent feeling of exhaustion that cannot easily be resolved by some rest. It is more like a burn out.
Pain – when someone experiences pain specifically in the back and bones, this might be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Remember that vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, which is vital for bone health. Bones can weaken when vitamin D levels are low leading to pain, and discomfort.
Depression – this is another symptom of low vitamin D. Vitamin D is involved in mood regulation, and a deficiency can influence mood disorders. However, this is a complex relationship under significant focus by researchers.
Muscle weakness – this is another sign to look out for since vitamin D plays a crucial role in muscle function. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to decreased muscle strength.
In the long-term, persistent low levels of vitamin D can lead to serious health problems. These include, cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease, and hypertension, cognitive impairments like dementia, and an increased risk in certain types of cancer.
Therefore, ensuring your body has enough vitamin D isn’t about avoiding immediate symptoms, it’s long-term health and wellness too.
The Sun, Vitamin D, and the Cancer Conundrum
Sunlight, the primary source of vitamin D, can protect against certain types of cancer, and potentially cause skin cancer. At the end of the day, it all comes down to balance, and moderation.
On one hand, adequate levels of vitamin D play a significant role in cancer prevention. Some studies have suggested that higher levels of vitamin D can protect against certain types off cancer, including prostate, colon, and maybe breast cancer. This is because of the role vitamin D plays in regulating cell growth, and promoting cellular differentiation.
On the flip side, excess exposure to sunlight can lead to skin cancer, specifically melanoma. This is due to the harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. These rays can damage the DNA in our skin cells, leading to mutations which may result to cancer.
The solution is to balance. Moderate sun exposure helps the body produce the vitamin D it needs to yield numerous health benefits, including cancer prevention. This balance can include short periods of sun exposure, together with the use of sunscreen, protective clothing, and possible vitamin D supplementation, under the advise of your healthcare provider.
However, it is important to protect your skin from too much sun exposure to lower the risks of skin cancer.
Who is at risk of a vitamin D deficiency?
- Firstly, let’s talk about age. As we grow old, the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight decrease. Which means that the elderly, especially those above 65 years old, are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency.
- Then there’s skin tone. People with a darker skin tone have more melanin. Melanin is a pigment which absorbs UV light, and lowers the skin’s ability to produce vitamin D. This means that people with a darker skin tone need longer periods of sun exposure to produce the same amount of vitamin D as those with a lighter skin tone.
- Lifestyle and geography play a significant role too. Always being indoors maybe due to work, health conditions or lifestyle choices, means you are not getting much sunlight, reducing the body’s chance of manufacturing vitamin D. At the same time, if you live in regions with less sunshine, sun-derived vitamin D production might be less than optimal.
While sunscreen is vital in protecting our skin from harmful UV rays, it could be a double-edged sword when it comes to production of vitamin D. Sunscreen blocks UVB rays needed for vitamin D production. So, individuals who often use sunscreen might have low levels of vitamin D.
However, understanding these risk factors of vitamin D deficiency might help you, and your healthcare provider come up with effective strategies to ensure that you get enough of vitamin D, be it through supplements, diet, or safe sun exposure.
How to ensure adequate vitamin D intake
- Exposure to the sun is an effective, natural way to boost your vitamin D levels. Ensure that you get sun exposure for about 10 to 30 minutes during morning hours several times per week.
- Eat vitamin D-rich foods. If you are a lover of seafood, mackerel, fatty fish like salmon, or sardines, these are great sources of vitamin D. Cheese, and egg yolks also contain a decent amount of vitamin D. Some fortified foods like dairy products, orange juice or cereals are also a valuable source of vitamin D.
Vitamin D toxicity
Vitamin D toxicity is also known as hypervitaminosis D. It is however rare to occur. It occurs if someone gets too much vitamin D. This excessiveness can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is whereby there is too much calcium in your blood. High levels of vitamin D might lead to over-absorption of calcium, causing this buildup.
Symptoms of hypercalcemia might vary, and may initially be subtle. They include nausea, weakness, and vomiting, which might be easy to misattribute to something else. More severe, and persistent symptoms might include thirst, frequent urination, constipation, and dizziness.
In extreme cases, if hypercalcemia is left untreated, high levels of calcium in the blood can cause bone pain, kidney stones, or even worse, damage to the heart and kidneys. Therefore, it is important to aim for a health vitamin D balance, just like with all nutrients.
While exposure to the sun doesn’t typically lead to vitamin D toxicity due to the body’s self-regulation, too much use of supplements can. Therefore, it is important to take supplements as recommended by a healthcare provider.
Remember, the goal is not to acquire maximum amounts of vitamin D but to maintain optimal levels that support your overall health, and well being.