Vitamin D is also called as sunshine vitamin as it is produced in your body due to sunlight. Vitamin D is also referred to as fat soluble vitamin. Vitamin D plays an important role in many different functions of the body. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to many health problems that range from mild to chronic in both men and women.
Importance of vitamin D must be understood as it can improve the overall functions of your body and in case of deficiency it can increase the risk of different diseases. The most important benefits of vitamin D include:
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Boost Immunity
Vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body, thus helps in proper functioning of the immune system. The adequate amount of calcium and phosphorus absorption in the body can boost your immunity.
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Improves bone strength
The absorption of calcium and phosphorus is required for maintaining bone health. Vitamin D helps in absorption of calcium in the intestine. Deficiency of vitamin D may lead to bow-legged appearance in children. Bo-legged appearance is a condition that is also called as rickets caused due to softening of bones. In adults vitamin D deficiency leads to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition that can lead to poor bone density and muscular weakness.
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Improve muscle function
According to research 70 percent of men between 20-29 years of age suffer with vitamin D deficiency. Normal levels of vitamin D in the body can help in improving the muscle functions. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to type 2 muscle fiber atrophy in most of the athletes.
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Decrease cold and flu
Increase intake of vitamin D supplements during winter season can reduce the risk of cold and flu by up to 40 % in children. Children with balanced levels of vitamin D are at less risk of influenza.
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Prevent cardiovascular diseases
According to the recent studies vitamin D plays a major role in controlling your blood pressure. Vitamin D helps in improving the vascular compliance and lowers the blood pressure, thus prevents it from different cardiovascular diseases.
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Reduce risk of diabetes
Adequate levels of vitamin D in the body can improve the insulin secretion in the body, thus reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. The risk of type 2 diabetes can be reduced up to 88 % if sufficient quantity of vitamin D is present in the body.
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Improves infant health
Sufficient vitamin D levels decreases the risk of different diseases in children like asthma, eczema and atopic dermatitis.
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Facilitates pregnancy
Vitamin D reduces the risk of developing preeclampsia in pregnant women. Women having normal levels of vitamin D in the body do not need caesarean section at the time of child birth. Insufficient vitamin D levels increases the risk of gestational diabetes and bacterial vaginosis during pregnancy.
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Prevents cancer
Calcitrol is a form of vitamin D that is known to prevent cancer progression in the body by preventing the growth of new blood vessels in the cancerous tissues. Vitamin D also plays an important role in cell growth and cell-to-cell communication.
Atefa Noorain
Connect with Atefa NoorainAtefa Noorain, (Microbiologist) former Head of the Department of Life Sciences, Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Sujatha Degree College for Women. She worked as an Associate Research Analyst at Thomson Reuters and an Associate Editor of two research journals. She has presented her research work in 3 International Conferences. She has written articles for national journals and international journals. She had been felicitated as a Young Speaker in the last conference. She has worked on Nanoparticles as a part of her research project and won the Best Scientist of the Day award.
