What Is Vitamin D And Why Is It Important?}

What is vitamin D and why is it important?

by

R.A. Butters

Vitamin D is a unique fat-soluable vitamin that is essential to the body’s absorption of calcium. It has long been established that adequate vitamin D is needed for the production of strong bones, and new research shows that it may play a major role in a host of other health concerns as well.

Vitamin D is unique because it is the only vitamin that the body can actually produce. It is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin” because exposure to the sun triggers the skin to produce it.

Relatively few natural dietary sources

Sunlight is extremely important in regulating the body’s vitamin D levels because only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of it. The list of dietary sources includes fatty fish and fish oils, along with organ meats. Fortified foods, and fortified milk in particular, are the major dietary sources of vitamin D. One cup of vitamin D fortified milk supplies about one-fourth of the estimated daily need for this vitamin for adults. However most milk-based dairy products made from milk such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream are generally not fortified.

Recognized as essential for strong bones

Medical science has long recognized vitamin D deficiency as a leading cause of bone problems, diseases, and disorders, including rickets (particularly in children) and osteomalacia in adults. Rickets, a debilitating disease characterized by the softening of bones, was a major health concern in the US until the 1920s, when vitamin D fortification for milk was approved.

Vitamin D’s role in represerving stong bones is in regulating the amount of calcium in the system. When calcium levels are low, the body draws supplemental calcium from the bones. Vitamin D, which helps in the absorption of calcium, effectively maintains sufficient calcium levels and prevents the weakening of bones.

It has also been proven that vitamin D working together with calcium helps protect older adults from osteoporosis.

Other proven roles in healthy bodies of all ages

Vitamin D has other proven roles in human health, including maintaining neuromuscular and immune functions. It has also been shown to be an effective agent in the reduction of inflammation.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently doubled their recommended level of vitamin D, raising it from 200 IU to 400 IU, starting from the second month of life.

Potential for preventing heart, brain, and depressive disorders

A mounting body of evidence suggests that vitamin D may play a significant role in treating or even preventing a host of disorders, ranging from cardiovascular disease to a variety of types of cancer to age-related depression.

Medical research is discovering more and more ways in which vitamin D is crucial to health, vitality, and preventing disease. Find out more about

vitamin D and critical illness

, or read more of the latest on vitamin D at

Vitamin D Answers

.

Article Source:

eArticlesOnline.com

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