The Importance of Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is fat soluble vitamin that we need. There are five types of vitamin D that have been identified and vitamins D2 and D3 appear to be the most important to us as humans. Most people do not need to take vitamin D supplements as long as they have a reasonable amount of exposure to the sun. As the vitamin can be synthesised by the human body, it is often argued that it should not be considered a vitamin.

The Health Benefits

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for the human body and there are many health benefits associated with it.

A major reason as to why we need vitamin D is due to the fact that without sufficient levels we are unable to process calcium properly. This is important for healthy bones.

There are reports that suggest that the threat of colon cancer can be reduced with the right amount of vitamin D being taken in. Reports show that vitamin D can help protect against other cancers too, such as prostate and breast cancers.

There are a number of other reasons as to why vitamin D is so important to us. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, glucose intolerance and multiple sclerosis are all conditions that have been found to be helped through having healthy levels of vitamin D in our body.

The Risk of Too Much Vitamin D

As with most things in life, moderation is the key. There is the risk that we can have too much vitamin D and this can cause various problems. The feeling of nausea, vomiting, weight loss and a weak feeling are all potential signs of too much vitamin D and there are more serious symptoms too. Kidney stones, mental confusion and an irregular heartbeat are all serious signs of too much vitamin D.

A Natural Source

There are a number of sources of vitamin D, but there is one natural source that can be utilised easily for us all to get free vitamin D. The Sun provides us with vitamin D so it is important that we get ourselves out there in the sunlight.

Other Sources of Vitamin D

When not getting our vitamin D from the sun, the best way to get it is from the diet. In reality should only really use vitamin D supplements if our doctor, or another medical professional, advises us to do so. Foods such as milk and yoghurt are good sources of vitamin D.