Vitamin D: Health Benefits

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is essential for optimal health.

Only a few foods contain significant amounts of this vitamin. These include fatty fish, organ meats, and some mushrooms.

Unlike other vitamins, which can be obtained through diet, vitamin D is produced in the body from cholesterol under the influence of sunlight. Most people, except those living in countries with warm sunny climates, have a vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency can be associated with several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Optimal blood levels of vitamin D provide many important health benefits. These benefits will be discussed in this article.

 

1. Vitamin D improves bone health

It increases the absorption of substances important for bone health — calcium and phosphorus.

Studies show that people with low vitamin D levels tend to suffer from bone mass loss. While people taking vitamin D supplements have a 22-33% lower risk of bone fractures.

Taking vitamin D improves the healing of fractures, especially in people with low levels.

Most experts agree that people with vitamin D levels in the blood up to 25 nmol per liter should take vitamin D in a dosage of 800-1000 IU per day.

In any case, elderly people, who have an increased risk of falls and fractures, should follow the above recommendations.

 

2. Vitamin D reduces the risk of diabetes

In diabetes, the body cannot properly process carbohydrates. There are several types of diabetes mellitus, but the most common are type 2 and type 1 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease with a significant genetic component and is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence, while type 2 diabetes typically occurs in older age and is closely related to lifestyle.

Vitamin D reduces the risk of both types of diabetes.

Studies show that infants and toddlers who take vitamin D supplements have a 29-88% lower risk of developing type 1 diabetes than those who do not receive such supplements.

The recommended daily intake is 400 IU of vitamin D for infants up to one year old and 600 IU for most children and adults.

Vitamin D protects against type 2 diabetes by reducing insulin resistance, increasing insulin sensitivity, and improving the function of cells responsible for insulin production.

People with low blood levels of vitamin D may have up to a 55% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Scientific research data suggest that adults consuming at least 500 IU of vitamin D per day have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Similar results have been obtained for vitamin D-deficient children and adolescents.

 

3. Vitamin D improves heart health

Vitamin D helps improve heart health and reduce the likelihood of heart attacks.

People with good levels of vitamin D in their blood have a lower risk of developing heart disease.

Low vitamin D levels significantly increase the likelihood of developing heart diseases. The highest risk was observed in people with low vitamin D levels and high blood pressure.

 

4. Vitamin D reduces the risk of certain cancers

Maintaining sufficient levels of vitamin D has some benefits for cancer prevention. Various studies indicate this.

The risk of bladder cancer and the risk of death from this disease is reduced by a quarter.

A number of other studies show that maintaining high levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Vitamin D may play a role in slowing the progression of cancer.

 

5. Vitamin D reduces the risk of premature death

Vitamin D can help you live longer. Several studies describe a surprising consistent link between blood levels of vitamin D and the risk of premature death.

Therefore, people living in countries with little sun and, consequently, not getting enough vitamin D should take vitamin supplements to add a few extra years to their lives.

 

6. Vitamin D reduces symptoms of depression

Vitamin D may have an impact on depression.

The specific role of the vitamin in the development of depression is not entirely clear. One theory suggests that it increases the amount of serotonin in the brain, which is a known factor for the sense of well-being and happiness.

One scientific review reports that low vitamin D levels can increase the likelihood of depression by up to 131%.

However, scientific research to date does not provide exact evidence that vitamin D is effective in treating depression.

It is possible that this depends on the severity of the symptoms. For example, vitamin D appears to be most effective in reducing symptoms in people with severe depression, but less effective in individuals with moderate or mild severity.

 

7. Vitamin D increases muscle strength

Studies show a link between vitamin D and increased muscle mass and strength in both adults and the elderly.

Individuals receiving vitamin D supplements show an increase in muscle mass in the upper and lower body more than those who did not receive such supplements.

Several studies have examined how vitamin D affects muscle strength, the risk of falls, and consequently bone fractures in the elderly. The results indicate that supplements improved muscle strength and reduced the risk of falls compared to a group taking a placebo (a substance without active ingredients).

A daily dose of 800-1000 IU is sufficient to cause improvements in the elderly.

It is possible that higher doses may be required to achieve increased muscle strength in young people.

 

8. Vitamin D may help prevent and treat multiple sclerosis

Studies show that sufficient blood levels of vitamin D can help reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis by up to 62%.

People with existing multiple sclerosis and maintaining high blood levels of vitamin D may slow the progression of the disease.

 

9. Other benefits of vitamin D

Over the past decade, vitamin D has become a particularly popular topic in scientific research. New studies are discovering various benefits of vitamin D, which include:

• Reduction of asthma attacks: a daily dose of 300-1200 IU;
• Prevention of colds and viral infections: vitamin D supplements can help reduce the risk of upper respiratory tract infections;
• Improvement in recovery after surgery;
• Reduction of chronic pain;
• Birth of healthy babies: taking vitamin D during pregnancy helps increase the height and weight of newborns;
• Protection against Parkinson's disease;
• Protection against age-related decline in mental abilities;
• Increased blood levels of vitamin D are associated with lower levels of the popular cardiovascular inflammation marker — C-reactive protein.

Thus, vitamin D plays several important roles in the body. Maintaining sufficient levels in any available way, whether through food, sun exposure, or taking supplements, is extremely important for maintaining optimal health and achieving healthy longevity.

Increasing vitamin D levels through sun exposure should be strictly dosed, as this method carries the danger of sunburn and photoaging of the skin. Read more about this in our article “Sunlight causes skin photoaging.”

It should be noted that the concept of “the more, the better” does not apply to vitamin D. Research shows that the benefits for healthy adults decrease at high doses of the vitamin.

With a blood vitamin D level of 21 nanograms per milliliter, any further increase in vitamin D intake was associated with an increase in C-reactive protein levels, vascular stiffness, and increased cardiovascular risk.

Studies also indicate a link between excess vitamin D and elevated levels of homocysteine, another dangerous indicator of cardiovascular disease.

Excessive vitamin D intake can lead to kidney damage.

Taking high doses of vitamin D over a long period can lead to excessive accumulation in the body. Vitamin D intoxication occurs when its blood levels rise above 150 ng/ml (375 nmol per liter). Since vitamin D is stored in fatty tissue and released into the bloodstream slowly, the effects of intoxication can last for several months after stopping supplement intake.

Possible dosages of vitamin D intake should be consulted with a healthcare provider.