6 Major Health Benefits of Vitamin D Supplements
Are you ready to learn about the life-changing major health benefits of vitamin D supplements?
Unfortunately, first I have to warn you about some terrible news…
We’re in the middle of a serious vitamin D deficiency epidemic!
Medical professionals, including the team at Complete Care Health Centers, take vitamin D deficiency very seriously.
As a matter of fact, that’s why this article highlights the top 6 benefits of vitamin D supplements.
So the question is, do vitamin D supplements actually work?
The short answer is YES!
Let’s dive in…
What Is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D isn’t like other vitamins on the block.
What makes it so special?
For one, it’s fat soluble, meaning the body stores it in the liver and other fatty tissues.
The skin actually makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight.
For this reason, vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin.”
Sadly, most people don’t get enough sun.
On top of this, not many foods contain vitamin D.
In the end, this makes it hard for people to get enough of it.
Why You Need Vitamin D
When your skin feels the sun, it makes vitamin D as a hormone in the body.
Not surprisingly, this hormone has a massive impact on your overall health.
In fact, what you take as a vitamin D supplement is really a building block for this important hormone.
The body uses it to strengthen the immune system, maintain blood pressure, and even improve brain function. (1)
But that’s not all that vitamin D does for your health…
6 Major Health Benefits of Vitamin D Supplements
The body uses vitamin D all over the place, and that’s why there are so many different benefits of vitamin D.
It’s involved in energy production, chronic pain, wound healing, and hair loss.
But believe it or not, these aren’t even vitamin D’s most important jobs.
Are you ready to learn about the biggest benefits of vitamin D supplements?
1. May Treat Autoimmune Diseases
2. Reduces Inflammation
3. May Reduce the Risk of Cancer
4. Improves Mental Health
5. Supports Bone Health6. Strengthens the Immune System
1. May Treat Autoimmune Disease
Vitamin D deficiency is common among people with autoimmune diseases.
As a matter of fact, patients with lupus, multiple sclerosis (MS), and type 1 diabetes all have high rates of vitamin D deficiency. (2)
But that’s not all…
People with less common autoimmune diseases like costochondritis have low vitamin D as well.
Luckily, when people with autoimmune conditions take vitamin D supplements, their symptoms usually improve.
2. Reduces Inflammation
Inflammation is the cause of a variety of health problems, including autoimmune disease, but it doesn’t stop here.
It also affects mental health, bone health, and so much more…
Luckily, taking vitamin D supplements reduces inflammation.
The benefits of vitamin D are especially important for the elderly.
According to a recent study, vitamin D deficiency is higher among older adults.
The good news is that these patients respond well to vitamin D supplements. (3)
3. May Reduce the Risk of Cancer
Another one of the major benefits of vitamin D is that it may reduce the risk of cancer up to 77%.
Once again, the health benefits of vitamin D come down to reducing inflammation.
We now know that inflammation is closely related to cancerous tumors.
Thankfully, vitamin D has the ability to slow down tumor growth by fighting inflammation. (4)
Vitamin D deficiency is connected to a higher risk of several cancers, including:
- Breast
- Prostate
- Colon
- Ovarian
Amazingly, vitamin D supplements can prevent 77% of all cancers.
4. Improves Mental Health
One thing is for sure: vitamin D can have a powerful effect on mental health.
In fact, studies show that vitamin D supplements support mood.
For example, a 2017 study found that vitamin D reduces anxiety and depression. (5)
5. Supports Bone Health
Vitamin D plays a major role in bone metabolism.
Specifically, it’s extremely important for calcium absorption.
We all know how important calcium is for the bones, but without vitamin D’s help, the body can’t use it.
In fact, people with low vitamin D have higher rates of poor bone density. (6)
6. Strengthens the Immune System
The next time you’re feeling under the weather, you might want to think about taking more vitamin D.
One of the major benefits of vitamin D is that it protects against infection and helps fight disease.
Not only that, but people with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of catching the flu. (7)
This is one of the reasons why vitamin D supplementation is especially important in the winter, but more on this later…
Can Vitamin D Supplements Be Toxic?
People are often afraid that vitamin D supplements are toxic, but the truth is that a blood level of 50 to 100 is fine.
If you want to know your vitamin D levels, ask your doctor to do a blood test.
When you go in, keep these numbers in mind:
- 30 or less is very deficient.
- 30 to 50 means that you should definitely take vitamin D supplements and spend more time in the sun.
- 50 to 100 is a good level.
Best Vitamin D Supplements
The best form of vitamin D is vitamin D3, otherwise known as cholecalciferol.
Vitamin D3 is easy to use for hormone production.
You might also see vitamin D2 at the store, but this is NOT a healthy form of vitamin D.
You’ll also want to make sure it’s free of unnecessary preservatives or fillers.
What’s the Best Way to Take Vitamin D Supplements?
Because vitamin D is fat soluble, it’s important to take it with a high-fat meal.
Additionally, taking it at night may increase the benefits of vitamin D.
However, the most important thing is to take it with high-fat foods like avocado, olives, and grass-fed beef.
How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?
We recommend that you take 5,000 IU of vitamin D in the summer and 10,000 IU in the winter.
Why double-up during the winter months?
Because those cloudy days rob you of the vitamin D you would usually get from the sun.
I hope this article has given you a solid understanding about the benefits of vitamin D.