Vitamin D: Why Do We Need It?

Vitamin D: Why Do We Need It?

Vitamin D is a nutrient that has been linked to many different health benefits, from preventing cancer and diabetes to boosting immune system function. Here's why Vitamin D is super important for your diet and why you can't live without it!
Vitamin D is a nutrient that has been linked to many different health benefits, from preventing cancer and diabetes to boosting immune system function. Here's why Vitamin D is super important for your diet and why you can't live without it!

About Vitamin D

Since vitamin D is only found in animal sources, the best way to obtain it is via sunlight - which your body can then transform into Vitamin D. This happens when UV rays hit your skin, triggering a chemical reaction called ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation which leads to vitamin D synthesis. Studies that were conducted on the vitamin D levels of people who spend time outdoors show that they have higher levels of vitamin D than those who don't get outside much.

Although most people get enough sunlight from being outdoors - there are a fair amount of people that are vulnerable to deficiency, for example overweight individuals or people who live in regions with little sunlight deficiency - in fact (to all of you pasty white folk in the UK) - one in five people in the UK actually suffer from vitamin D deficiency!

Vegans and vegetarians might also find they're at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency because it's not found in many sources outside of animal products, but there are still plenty of ways to get enough in your diet.


Vitamin D Benefits

Calcium & Bone Health

Beneficial effects of vitamin D on bones and teeth include that it's involved in calcium absorption, which is important for bone health. Vitamin D deficiencies is responsible for many bone and teeth issues like:

  • Rickets in children
  • Osteomalacia which is a softening of the bones because calcium isn't absorbed properly by the body. This causes cramps, pain, muscle spasms and fractures.
  • There's also evidence that vitamin d deficiency can cause tooth decay along with poor dental health overall like gum disease . Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to respiratory infections such as influenza (flu) or pneumonia. Vitamin d supplements help boost immune system function so respiratory infections are less likely when you're getting enough vitamin D . Research has shown supplementation may be beneficial against autoimmune conditions like arthritis , psoriasis, MS. lupus , type I diabetes. rheumatoid arthritis . However, more research is needed to confirm these findings. Vitamin D deficiency causes psychosis in some cases, but it's unclear how common this phenomenon is or what exactly vitamin d supplements do to treat it .


Testosterone Levels

Vitamin d supplements have been shown to increase testosterone levels, which can improve muscle mass and sex drive in men. In women, it has been found that low serum 25(OH)D concentrations are associated with greater risk of infertility caused by ovarian dysfunction. Low concentration of this hormone may also lead to periods stopping or not starting at all (amenorrhea). This is a very important benefit for female athletes who take part in sports where performance depends on weight classes like wrestling, boxing etc. because their cycles stop while taking large amount of calcium from the bone when they diet excessively to make weight limits thereby increasing osteoporosis risks later in life if proper calcium intakes aren't taken into consideration along


Boosts mental health

Vitamin D has been shown to help with depression and seasonal affective disorder because it regulates mood and sleep cycles. It does this by stopping the production of certain hormones that regulate these cycles, such as serotonin and melatonin.

Studies show that depression can be supported by a lack of this vital nutrient, also contributing to weight gain when not enough is present in your diet or supplementation routine. Boosting Vitamin D with an extra supplement can foster better moods, faster weight loss strategies, and stronger immune systems overall.

Vitamin D has been shown to help with symptoms of arthritis, such as pain and inflammation. Some experts believe that it helps reduce symptoms because it works like a hormone by binding to certain receptors in your cells. This triggers chemical reactions that then affect other parts of your body, including your immune system response to injury or infection. Because this nutrient affects how we respond to these types of injuries and infections , taking vitamin d supplements may be beneficial for treating long-term problems related to them . Boosts memory function Vitamin D also regulates calcium absorption which supports brain


Can Prevent Cancer

Vitamin D deficiency is a known, strong risk factor for cancer. Some types of cancer that can be prevented with vitamin d supplements including breast cancer and prostate cancer.

When you think about cancer, it's easy to just see it as a death sentence or something that isn't going to happen to you. Maybe you're hearing people talk about the dangers of getting a cancer diagnosis and just not believing in it because they're talking about someone else's life. The reality is that anyone can get any type of cancer at any time, no matter how healthy they are. Cancer isn't predictable and there aren't specific things you can do to prevent it from happening because there are so many different causes for it. But one thing we know for sure is that vitamin d supplements are one of the best ways to prevent it. Vitamin D works in your body by helping you absorb calcium, which strengthens bones and teeth. It also helps turn sunlight into a chemical called cholecalciferol in our skin cells , which then increases levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in the kidneys .




Reducing the risk of heart disease

Studies show that if you're deficient in vitamin D your chance of dying from cardiovascular problems is higher than someone who isn't deficient... so again i think this speaks to two things here.. firstly some people are predisposed to have more inflammatory issues due to various genetic polymorphisms which can be exacerbated by lack of sun exposure or dietary intake for example.. secondly there's a lot about how cholesterol works as well as some other coagulation factors like homocysteine levels etc. that also play into these conditions where inflammation often gets involved too. So what's the connection between vitamin D and heart disease? Well, it might seem odd that a sunshine nutrient can affect something as serious as heart disease. One way this works is by increasing blood flow through your veins to help keep them open so more oxygenated blood can reach all of your cells properly, which reduces inflammation in the process. Vitamin D also regulates several metabolic pathways related to cholesterol production , including converting inactive forms of cholesterol into active ones .

Vitamin D For The Win

Not getting enough Vitamin D? Check out APH Science's vegan friendly vitamin D Supplement containing 4000iu of Vitamin D - plenty of this nutrient that most people won't get through the diets alone! Vitamin D2 contains 4000 IU, an amount researched to help fight off the mental health battle against the blues! Plus, all you have to do is take one tablet per day - it's that easy.