Almost anyone who has done their homework on supplements, herbs, and vitamins knows why vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin.” It’s because we acquire it primarily through our exposure to sunlight’s ultraviolet B (UVB) rays hitting our skin.
If you’re keeping score at home, it is estimated, for example, that people need to spend eight to ten minutes a day at noontime in the spring and summer to get the maximum benefit from D delivered in this manner. That’s assuming the average amount of skin exposed (not covered by clothing) during the day as being 25 percent at that time of year. Of course, all those numbers need some tinkering during other seasons of the year.
The “sunshine vitamin” moniker could also be a fit thanks to D’s many roles it plays in enhancing our health and wellness. It has more uses, it seems, than such versatile everyday items as lemon juice, dryer sheets, and newspapers (even after you have finished reading them). Just as a quick note, vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, has yet another name—calciferol.
Vitamin D can also be sourced from foods and supplements. It is also worth noting that, once ingested, D still must be activated inside our body. This is carried out via a pair of conversion processes known as hydroxylations. One such hydroxylation takes place in the liver, converting vitamin D to a compound known as calcidiol, and the other, occurring primarily within the liver, produces calcitriol.
6 of Vitamin D’s Most Noteworthy Health Benefits
- Toughen up your bones. Strengthen them, in other words. Vitamin D accomplishes this by promoting the body’s absorption of calcium sourced from the likes of milk, yogurt, assorted seafoods, and many other foods. D and calcium work in tandem to help prevent osteoporosis.
- Helps the immune system. Vitamin D supports the immune response, for example, with some evidence showing that taken in supplement form it can lessen the chances of developing an acute respiratory response.
- Improve your mood. Although research is still unclear about a vitamin D deficiency’s link to a diagnosis of depression, it has shown a capacity to enhance the production of serotonin, also known as the “feel-good” hormone. Serotonin’s main role is to regulate a person’s mood by suppressing elevated levels of anxiety and depression.
- Reduce the possibility of heart disease. Vitamin D not only has demonstrated an ability to help manage blood pressure, it can also contribute to the strengthening of muscle fibers that work to guard the heart.
- Support female sex hormones. Women still of reproductive age often have been found to have a vitamin D deficiency, as recent studies have shown an apparent link to a heightened risk for adverse maternal and fetal health outcomes. A boost of D intake can also help tamp down the symptoms of women struggling with PMS.
- Support a healthy body weight. It’s doubtful that vitamin D will suddenly emerge as the newest miracle weight-loss supplement on the market. However, taking a D supplement in tandem with calcium has been cited by some experts as showing promise in helping a person looking to drop a few pounds.
It should be no surprise to health-conscious people that vitamin D keeps popping up on a wide variety of lists of natural remedies suitable for treating particular health conditions or needs. Its popularity comes from its bringing one of the most versatile supplements on the market. Let the sun shine in a bit more on your life, and, if so inclined, be sure to discuss your possible addition of vitamin D to your daily regimen with your personal physician or other healthcare professional.