Vitamin D and exercise are key factors in maintaining good health. Vitamin D is essential to proper bodily function; a deficiency can cause health problems. Exercise helps you develop and maintain muscular and cardiovascular fitness, which reduces your risk of developing health problems such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Never take any supplement without your doctor's approval; discuss your vitamin D levels and your exercise regimen with your doctor.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is known to help with calcium absorption and to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. It also aids in regulating the immune system. The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends that all people under age 50 get 5 micrograms or 200 International Units daily; those older than 50 should get 10 micrograms or 400 IU daily. You get vitamin D from several sources including the sun, fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod-liver oil. A vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets -- a health condition that causes skeletal deformities in children -- and brittle bones in adults, MayoClinic.com warns.
Dementia
Lots of exercise and vitamin D may reduce the risk of dementia, according to studies presented at the 2010 Alzheimer's Association International Conference. One study, from Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, followed 1,200 elderly participants for more than 20 years and found that those who reported moderate to heavy levels of exercise had a risk of dementia about 40 percent lower than those who exercised less, "USA Today" reported in 2010. Researchers from Britain examined data on 3,325 elderly U.S. adults, taken via the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and concluded that those with a vitamin D deficiency had about 42-percent higher risk for mental impairment.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Vitamin D supplementation combined with a rehabilitation program helps those recovering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exercise more than standard rehab alone, Belgian researchers told the American Thoracic Society's 2011 International Conference. Vitamin D supplements improved exercise capacity and respiratory strength in comparison to a control group. Patients with COPD commonly have low blood levels of vitamin D, the ScienceDaily website explains.
Prevent Falls
Vitamin D supplements and regular exercise can help the elderly prevent falls, according to a scientific review commissioned by U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and published in 2010 in the journal "Annals of Internal Medicine." The reviewers examined data from nine studies, encompassing nearly 6,000 elderly participants. The data showed that individuals taking Vitamin D supplements had a 17-percent lower risk of falling than those who did not take supplements. Additionally, study participants exercising regularly had a 13-percent lower risk of falling.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Vitamin D; April 1, 2011
- "USA Today"; Study: Exercise, Tea and Vitamin D to Ward Off Dementia; Mary Brophy Marcus; July 11, 2010
- ScienceDaily; Vitamin D Improves Exercise Outcomes in Patients With COPD; May 15, 2011
- "American Medical News"; Vitamin D and Exercise May Help Prevent Falls in Elderly; Christine S. Moyer; Jan. 13, 2011
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