Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that your body doesn’t make on its own. In fact, you must get it from the sun, which is why it’s called a “sunshine vitamin.”
However, because of its importance, many people think of it as just a supplement. But there are many other important functions that regular exposure to the sun performs for your health. Vitamin D has benefited our health and wellbeing for millennia.
Here are some of the ways vitamin D can help:
- Reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
When you’re deficient in vitamin D, your risk of developing osteoporosis increases and it can lead to bone fractures and other serious problems.
- Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.
These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
- Vitamin D may regulate mood and reduce depression.
Research has shown that vitamin D might play an important role in regulating mood and decreasing the risk of depression.
- Improves muscle function.
Vitamin D helps support optimal immune function, fighting off infections and boosting the function of white blood cells that fight infection and disease. People who do not have adequate vitamin D levels might be at increased risk of infections and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease
- Decreases risk of cancer.
Vitamin D is thought to play a role in regulating cell growth and preventing cancer development.
- Decreases the chance of heart disease.
Low vitamin D levels have been linked to an increased risk of heart diseases such as hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. But it’s unclear whether vitamin D deficiency contributes to heart disease or simply indicates poor health when you have a chronic condition.
- Vitamin D can help strengthen oral health
Because vitamin D helps our body absorb calcium, it plays a crucial role in supporting oral health, lowering the risk of tooth decay and gum disease. It is beneficial for oral health, due to its effect on bone metabolism and “its ability to function as an anti-inflammatory agent and stimulate the production of anti-microbial peptides.
Risks of consuming too much vitamin D
If you take excessive amounts of vitamin D supplements, you may get too much of it. However, this is unlikely to happen through diet or sun exposure because your body regulates the amount of vitamin D produced through sun exposure.
Vitamin D toxicity can lead to an increase in your blood calcium levels. This can result in a variety of health issues, such as
- nausea
- apathy
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- dehydration
- confusion
- increased thirst
