The Importance of Vitamin D

The Importance of Vitamin D. Why are so many scientists and doctors excited about vitamin D? Not only are most people deficient, but numerous respected scientific studies have demonstrated that low levels of vitamin D are linked to many diseases and disorders. Osteoporosis, the disease of weakened bones common among the elderly, and osteomalacia, a rickets-like disease in adults, are both linked to low levels of vitamin D. Almost 3,000 studies link vitamin D with cancer prevention. Insufficiency of this vitamin has also been implicated in diabetes, autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, chronic muscle fatigue, and fibromyalgia), heart disease, strokes, kidney disease, and malabsorption disorders (for example, celiac disease and cystic fibrosis). There is evidence that it is associated with resistance to infections, such as influenza and tuberculosis. Some scientists even believe that further research will prove a connection between the brain and vitamin D that explains conditions such as depression and autism.

Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and teeth throughout life. It helps promote calcium absorption, and calcium is the major building block of bones and teeth. With osteoporosis, as with many disorders, the foundations for prevention are laid down with ample nutrition in childhood and adolescence, even though the disease does not appear until middle or old age. Nevertheless, nutritionists already recommend 1,000 IU for people at risk for osteoporosis. This dosage is especially helpful in winter or when people are confined to nursing homes, where they rarely get enough sun exposure. Vitamin D not only seems to strengthen bones and reduce the risk of fractures, it also increases muscle strength and improves balance. Studies have shown that increased standing up from a chair in people 65 years and older.

 In people with type 2 diabetes, several studies have concluded that high levels of vitamin D reduce insulin resistance in the cells and increase the insulin produced by the pancreas. It has been shown to improve the symptoms of autoimmune diseases in which the immune system attacks body systems as if they are foreign invaders. In other studies, ample vitamin D levels have improved the symptoms of people with congestive heart failure and reduced the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. In one 2009 study, researchers even discovered that ample vitamin D intake in pregnant women reduced the risk of asthma and allergies in their infants in later childhood.

Share :