The benefits of vitamin D are not only for bones

Children and adults need vitamin D to maintain their bone health. Besides being beneficial to bones, there are still many benefits of vitamin D that can be felt by the body. Starting with the regulation of calcium levels, to prevent a number of serious diseases.

Although commonly called vitamins, vitamin D is not just a vitamin, but is considered a pro-hormone. Vitamins are nutrients that must be obtained through food or supplements because they cannot be made by the body. However, vitamin D can be produced by the human body from sunlight which is absorbed by the skin.

Various benefits of vitamin D

According to research, the benefits of vitamin D not only maintain bone strength, but also reduce the risk of contracting several diseases, including:

cancer

Vitamin D is thought to help prevent colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. Calcitriol, the active vitamin D hormone, can reduce the growth of cancer cells by increasing the number of deaths, slowing the development of new blood vessels in cancerous tissue and reducing the growth, addition and spread of cancer. cancer cell.

Diabetes

The higher the level of vitamin D in the body, the lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Inadequate levels of vitamin D interfere with insulin production and glucose tolerance. According to research, an adequate amount of vitamin D during childhood will allow children to avoid type 1 diabetes.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women who lack vitamin D are at a higher risk of developing preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, gestational diabetes, and bacterial vaginosis. However, vitamin D levels that are too high during pregnancy are also not good, because it will increase the risk of food allergies in children.

Multiple sclerosis

According to research, a person with low vitamin D levels is at risk of developing multiple sclerosis and certain autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, thyroid disease, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and inflammation of the skin. intestine. Because vitamin D also affects the immune system.

Depression

Vitamin D is considered to play a role in the development and function of the brain. If a person's vitamin D levels are high, the risk of depression will decrease. Conversely, if the level of vitamin D in him is low, the risk of depression and nervous and brain disorders will increase.

Get vitamin D naturally

To avoid contracting various diseases mentioned above, you can get vitamin D from the following sources:

sun

When the sun enters the skin, the body makes its own vitamin D. Even so, don't sleep too long in the sun and don't forget to use sunscreen so the skin doesn't burn. .

food

Besides being formed by the body using sunlight, vitamin D can also be obtained from several types of food, such as oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), eggs, milk, mushrooms, beef liver, cod liver oil, tuna, and yogurt.

Eat a balanced diet and enjoy the sun in the morning so that your body can get the most out of vitamin D. No less important, try to always exercise, so that your health is always maintained.