Vitamin D has an important role together with calcium in mineral metabolism and bone growth and maintenance. Despite the name, vitamin D is considered a pro-hormone and not actually a vitamin. Vitamins are nutrients that cannot be created by the body and therefore must be taken in through our diet. However, vitamin D can be synthesized by our body when sunlight hits our skin. It is estimated that sensible sun exposure on bare skin for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per week allows most people to produce sufficient vitamin D, but vitamin D breaks down quite quickly, meaning that stores can run low, especially in winter.

Benefits of vitamin D

Vitamin D has multiple roles in the body, helping to:

  • Maintain the health of bones and teeth.
  • Support the health of the immune system, brain, and nervous system.
  • Regulate insulin levels and aid diabetes management.
  • Support lung function and cardiovascular health.
  • Influence the expression of genes involved in cancer development.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency may include:

  • Getting sick or infected more often.
  • Fatigue.
  • Painful bones and back.
  • Depressed mood.
  • Impaired wound healing.
  • Hair loss.
  • Muscle pain.

If Vitamin D deficiency continues for long periods of time it can result in:

  • obesity
  • diabetes
  • hypertension
  • depression
  • fibromyalgia
  • chronic fatigue syndrome
  • osteoporosis
  • neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease

Vitamin D deficiency may also contribute to the development of certain cancers, especially breast, prostate, and colon cancers. 

Research

Most cells in the body have been found to have receptors for vitamin D, and are therefore seen as an important nutrient in preventing many chronic diseases. The conversion of Vitamin D to its active form occurs in the kidneys, but it can also occur in the skin, prostate, brain, pancreas, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, heart, colon, monocyte/macrophages and in neoplastic tissues.

Vitamin D synthesis and serum vitamin D levels negatively correlated with latitude positively correlated with sunlight. The Vitamin D receptors are in most tissues and cells in the body. Wide range of biological actions, inhibiting cellular proliferation and inducing terminal differentiation, inhibiting angiogenesis, stimulating insulin production, inhibiting renin production, and stimulating production of compounds that kill bacteria, stimulates its own destruction. Vitamin D is linked with colon, rectum, breast, ovarian, prostate, stomach, bladder, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, and uterine cancers, as well as for non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Individuals with higher levels of serum 25(OH)D have lower incidence of cancers due to 1,25(OH)2D synthesis in the local organ epithelium. There is also an association of lower mortality rates from cancers for those residing at sunnier latitudes.

Vitamin D research indicates following facts:

  • Increase consumption of foods that are rich in or have been fortified with vitamin D.
  • Sensible sun exposure limits.
  • Vitamin D supplementation during the winter and in those who use sun block during the summer
  • Assess vitamin D levels in the blood at annual check ups.

“Research by Dr. Nasira Tajamal”