Vitamin D: It’s Not Just For Strong Bones Anymore - Swiss Sciences

Vitamin D. It’s not just for strong bones anymore.

Vitamin D is for strong bones. We all know that, right? Well it turns out that’s not all Vitamin D is good for. In fact it now seems that we’re finding vitamin D deficiency can lead to such ailments as cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes and obesity.

A few minutes on sunlight each day will provide all the vitamin D our bodies need, but with the risk of skin cancer from UV rays this is not the recommended method of obtaining vitamin D. Dark skinned people cannot absorb as much of the vitamin as fair skinned people and if you live in Northern regions you may not have enough sunshine year round to get all the benefits from vitamin D that you need.

Most people who are deficient in vitamin D will not notice any symptoms, but some risk factors include obesity, digestive disorders, certain medications, and being over the age of 50. When combined with high blood pressure vitamin D deficiency is particularly dangerous, nearly doubling the likelihood of heart problems. Vitamin D deficiency has even been shown to contribute to depression, possibly due to the parathyroid gland producing too much hormone when vitamin D is lacking.

Cancer

Women who are deficient in vitamin C are especially susceptible to breast cancer, with the likelihood of dying or of having the disease spread nearly doubled when not getting enough D. Vitamin D may offer protection against developing breast cancer and so is a recommended vitamin for women wishing to help prevent this disease. Its possible vitamin D can aid in warding off both colon cancer and prostate cancer as well.

On the weight loss front there is growing evidence that increasing vitamin D and calcium intake can slow and even halt the weight gain often experienced by women after menopause.

Where do get you Vitamin D? And how much should you take?

As was mentioned, vitamin D is readily produced by the body when receive enough regular skin exposure to the sun. With the threat of skin cancer, and the fact that sun exposure is not too practical in the winter months in Northern regions, vitamin D is recommended to be obtained through diet and supplements.

Vitamin D is often added to foods such as milk, orange juice and many breakfast cereals. Vitamin D can also be found in ample supply in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines. Other good sources include eggs, cheese, liver and yogurt.

Supplements can also be a good source of vitamin D and the recommended dosages depend on age and gender. The recommendation for daily vitamin D intake is 600 IU per day for adults up to age 70 and 800 IU for people over 70. Vitamin D should not be taken in too high a dose, however. Health risks start to occur when daily intake of vitamin D exceeds 4,000 IU.

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