Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin, as it is produced in the body when the skin is exposed to the natural sunlight. According to NaturalNews.com, a deficiency in vitamin D affects 40 per cent of the American population. Discuss your vitamin D levels with your health care provider, as supplementation may be necessary to prevent a deficiency.
Rickets, Osteomalacia and Osteoporosis
Essential for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus from the gastrointestinal tract, vitamin D is vital for promoting the mineralization of bone. Bowed legs in children, otherwise known as rickets, is a sign of vitamin D deficiency. In adults, a severe vitamin D deficiency may manifest in the body as osteomalacia, the softening of bones leading to bone pain or osteoporosis, another word for porous bone which is prevalent in the older adult population.
Mood Disorders
Vitamin D may have an important role in brain function, and a deficiency in this nutrient may be a factor in conditions such as schizophrenia, depression and seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. In the brain, cell receptors for vitamin D exist, suggesting that this vitamin may play a role in the production of neurotransmitters, the chemicals responsible for cell communication in the brain, thereby affecting mood.
Cancer
According to the Office of Natural Supplements of the National Institutes of Health, vitamin D may play a role in the prevention of colon, prostate and breast cancers. Vitamin D regulates cell division and specialization, two important factors differentiating normal cells from cancer cells. A deficiency in vitamin D may increase your risk for some forms of cancer.
Flu Prevention
Vitamin D plays an important role in innate immunity, the branch of the immune system responsible for helping the body to build up resistance against viral infections. According to Dr. John Cannell from the Vitamin D Council, vitamin D strengthens and provides balance to the immune response by producing natural antibiotics called AMPS. These natural antibiotics may prevent upper respiratory infections such as the flu. In a study reported in Canada's Globe and Mail, children receiving a vitamin D supplement had a 42 percent decrease in the occurrence of influenza A, the most severe type of flu compared to the placebo group.
References
- NaturalNews.com: Vitamin D Myths, Facts and Statistics
- Office of Dietary Supplements; National Institutes of Health: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D
- Vitamin D Council: H1N1 Flu and Vitamin D; The Vitamin D Newsletter; May 2009
- The Globe and Mail: 1,200 IU of Vitamin D Daily May Prevent Flu; March 2010; Mittelstaedt, M; March 2010
- Vitamin D Council: Vitamin D and Your Health Mental Health; Vitamin D and Depression
Member Comments