9 Vitamin D Benefits You Should Know About

Have you even wondered about the benefits of this vitamin? Vitamin D, also known as the “sunshine vitamin”, thanks to its ability to be absorbed in the body through sunlight, is vital to the human body. Its main purpose, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements, is to enhance calcium absorption, making it necessary for bone growth and bone remodeling (when the mature bone tissue is removed and new bone tissue is formed).

Giving all that, a lack of vitamin D can conduct to thin, brittle, or misshapen bones. But there are also other benefits we can take from this vitamin, ranging from positives for both physical and mental health. If you don’t know much about them, here are 9 vitamin D benefits you need to know about.

The benefits of vitamin D:

• It strengthens your bones – Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium in your gut, which allows for the normal mineralization of your bones.
• But also your muscles – A lack of vitamin D in the body can increase the risk of having weak muscles.
• Vitamin D helps the immune system and fights inflammation – As Dr Nasrallah confirms, vitamin D is essential for building your immunity. As he explains, it can support the immune system by fighting off harmful bacteria and viruses.
• Vitamin D can help strengthen oral health – We mentioned before that vitamin D enhances strengthening your bones, so naturally, oral health as well. It lowers the risk of tooth decay and gum disease, because it works as an anti-inflammatory agent, but also stimulates the production of anti-microbial peptides.
• It can prevent Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes – A daily dose of calcium and vitamin D combined (document yourself on the correct amount you should take) has supposedly a positive effect on lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Vitamin D is helpful for treating hypertension – A 2019 review published in the journal “Current Protein & Peptide Science” describes how vitamin D might play a huge role in the treatment of high blood pressure, which is one of the top markers of cardiovascular disease.
• Vitamin D can help you lose weight – As Dr Boyd points out, obesity is one of the risk factors for low vitamin D levels, and that could only mean that vitamin D helps losing weight.
• It can help battle depression – There’s a 2017 review article in the journal “Neuropsychology” that described how a vitamin D deficiency is directly linked to depression and anxiety.
• It can reduce the risk of certain cancers – There are also various studies on how vitamin D may have cancer-fighting powers.

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