Now that summer has arrived (at least where I live stateside), we all know that the warmer weather beckons more time outdoors. And more time outdoors leads to sunlight exposure and thus, Vitamin D synthesis. What now? We all know that the cheapest and easiest way to get Vitamin D is through brief skin exposure to UVB rays from the sun. But usually, the conversion deters over to the safety of sun exposure, why you need to be careful, all that Jazz. What we often fail to press on and inquire is why it’s good to have sufficiency in Vitamin D. Even though I’ve already covered the ways you can get more Vitamin D (not to mention proper and safe sun habits), I’ve never actually gone into the benefits of Vitamin D. Lucky for you, that’s what today’s topic is all about! Ready to learn more? Then let’s get started!

Immunity

While the go-to Vitamin for boosting immunity tends to be Vitamin C, we shouldn’t be so quick as to forget about Vitamin D. It plays an important role in a process known as the innate antimicrobial response. Without getting too technical (and exploding this post into a college essay), this essentially means that Vitamin D enhances the body’s response to infections, increasing both immunity and resiliency. [1] Research has found a correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia, making a strong case for why people tend to get sicker in the fall and winter when sunlight exposure (and thus plentiful Vitamin D) is at a minimum. [2]

Disease

Another benefit of Vitamin D is its association and continued research in disease prevention. Just to preface, do not, under any circumstance, read this article and go out and self-treat yourself with Vitamin D. Always work with a doctor! But going back to the research, it does appear that Vitamin D plays a role or can help (i.e., not cure) prevent a number of diseases.

First, there’s cardiovascular disease. There’s mounting evidence to suggest that congestive heart failure, blood vessel inflammation, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis can all manifest as the result of a lack of Vitamin D in the body, further connecting a deficiency with elevated heart disease risk. [3]

Second, we have diabetes. Now, to be clear, after taking the time to research the data I could find as well as reading the supporters and perhaps skeptics of Vitamin D and diabetes, what I can say is that while we should not discount Vitamin D’s importance, it should be noted that the research available is correlative. In other words, there’s a correlation, not a causation, between Vitamin D deficiency and diabetes. (For the time being.) What is noteworthy is that, according to the research, “both animal and human studies support the notion that adequate Vitamin D supplementation may decrease the incidence of type 1 and possibly also of type 2 diabetes mellitus and may improve the metabolic control in the diabetes state. However, the exact mechanisms are not clear and need further investigation.” [4] So, don’t throw the baby out the with the bathwater just yet. Keep getting enough Vitamin D, as well as working on healthy habits like diet and exercise to prevent diabetes.

Third (on a similar note), is that once again, while there is yet to be a direct link to Vitamin D and (certain) diseases, it does play a role in their prevention. These aforementioned diseases include non-alcoholic fatty liver, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, osteoarthritis, chronic kidney disease, and, possibly, cancer. [5] With cancer, the current evidence suggests that, “… intake or synthesis of Vitamin D is associated with reduced incidence and death rates of colon, breast, prostate, and ovarian cancers. More than 1,000 laboratory and epidemiological studies have been published concerning the association between Vitamin D and its metabolites and cancer. Long-term studies have demonstrated the efficiency of moderate intake of Vitamin D in reducing cancer risk…” [6] Keywords: prevention, association, and reduced rate. It’s by no means a cure-all, but certainly a vital form of insurance.

Bones

We can’t give calcium all the credit when it comes to bone health. In fact, in order to properly absorb calcium, we need enough Vitamin D (amongst other things). [7] Without it, our bones become weak and brittle over time. That’s the sinister part about nutritional deficiencies. You may not feel anything in the short term, but over time as the deficiency progresses so too does your body. Which is why making sure you’re staying on top of your nutrition is key when it comes to nutrient-related disease! In fact, a 2008 study found that in women that were hospitalized for osteoporosis-related hip fractures, 50% of them were low in Vitamin D. [8] And in case you needed more evidence about the bone-building effects of Vitamin D, look no further than rickets, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, is defined as “the softening and weakening of bones in children, usually because of an extreme and prolonged Vitamin D deficiency.” [9]

Depression

Ever heard of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? It’s a type of depression that’s commonly triggered by the onset of either fall or winter, or whenever the season shifts into cloudy, cooler weather. A theory behind SAD is that due to the lack of sunlight we experience a downshift in mood. To back this theory up, science believes that it’s not the lack of sunlight per se but rather a deficiency or low amount of Vitamin D. [10] The Mayo Clinic actually dug a little into this theory by researching approximately 12, 594 patients and found a definitive association between low Vitamin D status and symptoms of depression. [11] Next to depression, low Vitamin D has also been connected with other mental health conditions, including anti-social behavior, irritability, anxiety, anxiety, and schizophrenia. [12] [13]

Whew! There’s definitely a lot to be said about Vitamin D. I’ve barely scratched the surface here. It has so many links. But I really wanted to get the main points out there. However, it should be noted that before we get too excited over the research, we must first step back and realize that just like there is no such thing as a miracle pill there is also no miracle nutrient. Rather, I’d say it’s a super-powered nutrient with compelling properties. And for sure we should all be getting enough. But I’d love to hear from you- have you got any cool tidbits about Vitamin D that you’d like to share? Is there something in particular you’d like me to go over that you didn’t see here? Please let me know in the comments below and as always, thanks for stopping by!

Sources:

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2704027/
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3686844/
[3] https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20081201/too-little-vitamin-d-puts-heart-at-risk#1
[4] http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/2/113
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440113/
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470481/
[7] https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2621390/
[9] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rickets/symptoms-causes/syc-20351943
[10] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10888476
[11] http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)65193-8/abstract
[12] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-breakthrough-depression-solution/201111/psychological-consequences-vitamin-d-deficiency
[13] https://www.algaecal.com/algaecal-ingredients/vitamin-d/benefits/