People have finally started to notice the bountiful effects that vitamin D has on our bodies. Called the “sunshine vitamin” because humans primarily get it from exposure to sunlight, vitamin D is like that one kid in the block that we’ve always known existed but didn’t know was so talented.
But now that we know how great this vitamin is let’s get to know the many talents of vitamin D!
1 Strengthens the bones and muscles
If we know anything about vitamin D, we see that it’s good for our bones and muscles. Vitamin D can help the body absorb more calcium, working with the mineral to ultimately strengthen our bones. Even if you take as much calcium as you can, without vitamin D to help the body absorb, you will still be at risk of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
This vitamin also helps strengthen the muscles. More studies are needed about the specifics, but researchers know a strong correlation between vitamin D levels and muscle health, specifically in women. This has been signified by results that women with healthy levels of muscle mass also had high levels of vitamin D.
Muscle strength is important in preventing the risk of falling and incurring injuries, which is crucial in older people.
2 Inhibits the growth of cancer cells
This multi-talented vitamin doesn’t just strengthen our bodies; scientists are now beginning to see that it prevents the growth of harmful cancer cells.
One of this idea’s main proponents is the National Cancer Institute (NCI). They have observed in several studies that the amount of people with cancer significantly increases the further you are in the northern latitude – where there is less sunlight present.
More than that, people in the southern latitudes die from certain forms of cancer at a markedly fewer rate than those living in the north. Vitamin D has also been shown to display several characteristics that might inhibit cancer cell growth in mice.
Data is still not conclusive as of now, but these benefits look like writing on the wall that foretells the efficacy of this vitamin against this dreaded disease.
3 Keeps your mouth sparkly and strong
Vitamin D works with calcium – or more accurately, it’s what makes calcium work. Your teeth are essentially bones; calcium is an essential nutrient for your teeth. The math isn’t hard to figure out: vitamin D plus calcium equals healthy teeth.
More than that, this vitamin is also being investigated for its anti-inflammatory properties and role in increasing the production of antibacterial chemicals in the mouth.
4 Helps you lose weight
Vitamin has also been discovered to help suppress the appetite of people who want to shed some weight. A 2009 study found that obese or overweight women who took vitamin D and calcium daily lost weight more effectively than those who took a placebo.
5 Brightens up your mood and fights depression
Aside from strengthening our physical bodies and protecting them from danger, our overachieving vitamins have also been shown to be beneficial for our mental health. Studies have shown a significant relationship between lack of vitamin D and depression. There haven’t been any conclusive studies done about using this to treat depression, but since you can’t overdose from vitamin D, there’s no reason not to try. After all, sunlight does seem to lift the mood.
It’s a shame that the scientific community has only recently been focusing on vitamin D as a food supplement – but now that it’s been recognized, we’re beginning to see the wonders that it can do for our body. In this list, we saw just five of them – but there’s sure to be many more.
