All you need to know about the Sunshine Vitamin!
Vitamin D is both a supplement we eat and a chemical our bodies make. This fat-soluble vitamin helps in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus; both are basic for supporting healthy bones and teeth. It is a nutrient that your body forms when exposed to enough sunlight, hence known as the sunshine vitamin.
Why Vitamin D is Your Best Friend?
Vitamin D shoulders the responsibility to improve our overall health. It’s quite common knowledge that it facilitates the strengthening of bones and teeth by aiding in calcium and phosphorus absorption.
Vitamin D also factors in the risk reduction of chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, it elevates immunity and dampens inflammation. Recent research also suggests that it improves your mood and thus takes care of your mental health too.
Here are a few key justifications for why vitamin D is viewed as fundamental:
- Bone health: Vitamin D plays an essential part in calcium absorption. This helps with conditions like osteoporosis and rickets.
- Improve mental health: A few research suggested that vitamin D might emphatically affect our mood and behaviour.
- Heart health: Sufficient vitamin D levels might lower the risk of coronary illness and hypertension.
- Fights Infection: Vitamin D helps strengthen our immune system and fight against infections and free radicals.
- Skin health: Vitamin D is linked to improving overall skin health and makes your skin glowing and healthy.
- Improves energy: Vitamin D also combats tiredness and fatigue and keeps you energetic throughout the day.
- Keep your gut health strong: Although vitamin D is not as famous for its benefit on gut health, it plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy digestive tract and prevents gut-related issues.
How much Vitamin D do we need?
It is important to make sure we get an adequate amount of vitamin D required by the body to perform day-to-day functions. Excess of anything is harmful to our body and mind. As per NHS, the daily requirement of vitamin D is:
- Babies up to the age of 1 require 8.5 to 10 mcg per day.
- Children from age 1 to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women require 10 mcg per day.
What are the best sources of vitamin D?
It is hard to get enough sunlight throughout the year in most parts of the UK. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you consume enough from vitamin D rich food:
- Fortified foods like breakfast cereals
- Milk
- Mushrooms exposed to sunlight
How can we get enough vitamin D if we don’t spend much time outdoors?
If you’re someone who doesn’t spend too much time outside and has limited sun exposure, you can still maintain a good amount of vitamin D levels by following these simple strategies:
- Opt for vitamin D-fortified foods.
- Consume food rich in vitamin D.
- Look for clean and effective vitamin D supplements.
Should we take Vitamin D supplements?
The answer is a big YES!
Apart from food, the best way to keep up with your vitamin D levels is to take supplements consistently. Supplements are a great way to boost your vitamin D levels since there are only a few vegetarian or vegan options for vitamin D. It is important to consult a physician or a health expert before starting your supplements. The dosage of vitamin D supplements depends on the level of vitamin D in your bloodstream.
Vitamin D supplements are small tablets that one must take for a lifetime to keep their levels in check.
What are the risks of taking too much Vitamin D?
Our bodies thrive on balance! Hence, too much intake of vitamin D would do you more harm than good. One such consequence is hypercalcemia, a build-up of calcium in the blood; it may cause frequent urination, nausea, vomiting, and weakness. Also, it may result in bone pain and kidney problems (like the formation of calcium stones).
Conclusion
So, I conclude by saying that all vitamins and minerals are essential for our body. It is important to consume the right proportion which can keep our body balanced and healthy, where excess can cause toxicity and deficiency can cause malnutrition.
Vitamin D is not only good for our bones and teeth, but also a guardian angel for our overall health (including our mental health as well).
It is also important to consult a healthcare professional to give you proper guidance on the dosage of supplements.
FAQs:
Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine vitamin” that is important for healthy bones and teeth, immune system and overall health.
Consuming cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) is generally safe if consumed as directed on the package. Excess intake of this vitamin can lead to toxicity. It is important to consult a healthcare professional for appropriate dosage.
Absolutely, vitamin D is also famous for its antioxidant properties that can help in reduction of inflammation.
Yes, vitamin D plays an important role in the synthesis of protein. It helps in building and repairing tissues and supports the overall process.
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