One vitamin critical for health is vitamin D3. However, about 40 percent of the U.S. population may be deficient in D3. This vitamin helps prevent many diseases and health problems. It is crucial for lowering the risk of enlarged prostate, prostate cancer, heart disease, colon cancer, diabetes, fibromyalgia, and osteoporosis. Plus, D3 is one of the best anti-aging nutrients out there.
Vitamin D3 is commonly called a vitamin, but since our bodies can synthesize it from exposure to sunlight, it is actually a hormone (also called cholecalciferol).
We can get this substance from diet and through supplementation. This hormone affects many different body areas, including your weight, appetite, and even your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need
As you age, your vitamin D production per hour of sun exposure goes down, while the incidence of hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke goes up. That is why getting enough vitamin D as you grow older is essential. In general, people over age 50 need higher amounts of vitamin D than younger people.
You are at the most significant risk for vitamin D deficiency if you:
- Live in a northern latitude or a place with little sunlight.
- Are over the age of 50.
- Have a dark pigmentation.
- Suffer from kidney disease.
- Have liver damage.
- Are obese.
- Live in a nursing home.
- Suffer from celiac disease or another inflammatory bowel condition.
Vitamin D For Prostate Health
Adequate vitamin D levels can support prostate health in several ways. Vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of prostate cancer, and men who have prostate cancer are more likely to have low levels of vitamin D than men without prostate cancer. Vitamin D also helps men lower their prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels. Another way vitamin D can help prostate health is by lowering the risk of an enlarged prostate.
Vitamin D For Heart Health
Vitamin D and cardiovascular health are closely related. Not only can vitamin D lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but it can lower your risk for a heart attack by more than 30 percent and heart failure by 20 percent. People with deficient levels of vitamin D were almost 75 percent more likely to have a stroke and more likely to die than those with adequate levels.
Vitamin D For Bone Health
Vitamin D is essential for helping the body absorb calcium and phosphate for stronger bones. Vitamin D also helps bones grow and repair themselves. Without enough vitamin D, you may lose bone, be more likely to break bones and experience an increased risk of falling and breaking your hip.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of vitamin D for bone health. Compared to a placebo, having adequate vitamin D levels showed a 75 percent probability of preventing bone fractures. A vitamin D supplement can increase bone density by 20 percent in just a few months.
Vitamin D And Diabetes
Vitamin D controls your blood sugar and helps balance your insulin levels. Adequate vitamin D may lower risk factors for diabetes by improving insulin resistance and sensitivity. People with high blood levels of vitamin D have a 50 percent reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes.
Vitamin D And Back Pain
If your back hurts, you’re not alone. Severe back pain is a global epidemic. The problem: You and millions of other people don’t get enough anti-back pain vitamins. Many people suffering from back pain have barely any vitamin D circulating in their blood.
Vitamin D And Cavities
Vitamin D can significantly shrink your chances of suffering painful cavities in your teeth. Research at the University of Washington showed that vitamin D was associated with an approximately 50 percent reduction in the incidence of tooth decay.
Vitamin D And Fibroids
Fibroids, also known as uterine leiomyomata, are noncancerous tumors of the uterus. They often cause pain and bleeding in premenopausal women and are the leading cause of hysterectomy in the United States. But researchers have learned women can lower their risk of this painful problem by more than 30 percent when they take vitamin D.
Vitamin D And An Aging Brain
One particular vitamin that is crucial to keep your brainpower from dimming as you grow older is vitamin D. Without this nutrient, your risk of Alzheimer’s climbs, and thinking abilities are more liable to slip.
Vitamin D And Other Conditions
Additionally, vitamin D influences other areas of health. Many people with neurological problems, autoimmune disorders, and sleep problems are low in vitamin D. Low levels of D may be associated with a higher risk of depression, cancer, obesity, Crohn’s disease, and multiple sclerosis.
Foods With Vitamin D
Because we ingest and manufacture vitamin D, getting enough can be complicated. There aren’t that many D-rich foods. For example, milk is often fortified with the nutrient.
The best natural source is wild, cold-water fish like salmon and sardines. Cod liver oil is an excellent source. In addition to being relatively high in vitamin D, fish provide all-important omega-3 fatty acids.
Egg yolks are also a good source, so you don’t get vitamin D when you eat an egg white omelet. Beef liver is similarly rich in this vitamin.
The good news is that vitamin D deficiency can be remedied. Getting about 20 minutes a day of sunlight can help, as well as taking a good vitamin D3 supplement, especially if you live in northern states or are at risk of a vitamin D deficiency.
Get a FREE Consultation with one of our doctors (D.C) here and ask about our ADK2. Also, ask for a blood test to check your vitamin D levels to help determine how much vitamin D you need.
