We know so little about the health benefits of vitamin D but thanks to a new study, we have more reasons to get a little sun. Researchers found that vitamin D could decrease the severity of Crohn’s disease symptoms.
Moreover, scientists found that vitamin D supplements could reduce the risk of depression and diabetes in women. According to PsychCentral, participants who took a 50,000 IU vitamin D2 supplement every week for 6 months reported reduced depression levels.Any sensory or
Any sensory or neuropathic pains during the first days of the study were also decreased significant;y at 3 and 6 months following vitamin D2 supplementation.”
Science Confirms That Vitamin D Provides Many Benefits To Your Physical And Mental Health
Researchers continue to prove the importance of vitamin D and adequate sun exposure as the perfect way to optimize the levels of this vitamin in the body.
During the winter, people should choose artificial UVB light, since UV ray exposure also offers health benefits above and beyond the production of vitamin D.
On the other hand, standard tanning beds are not a good option due to the magnetic ballasts. Moreover, the light bulbs do not raise the vitamin D levels.
Therefore, people who live in the northern hemisphere should try to consume this vitamin through their diet, and use artificial UVB light during the winter.
The UVB exposure from the sun or artificial light also stimulates the production of nitric oxide, which is a compound that reduces blood pressure.
Vitamin D is not actually a vitamin, but a powerful neuroregulatory steroidal hormone. Its deficiency leads to numerous health issues, and analysis has shown that by correcting it, one might reduce the risk of death from any cause by 50%.
It actually affects about 3,000 of your 24,000 genes, through the vitamin D receptors throughout your body.
For instance, it regulates the ability of the body to fight infections and chronic inflammation.
Moreover, it is helpful in the treatment of colds and flu, as it produces over 200 anti-microbial peptides, including cathelicidin, which is a naturally occurring broad-spectrum antibiotic.
As reported in the January 2013 press release by Orthomolecular Medicine, there are currently 33,800 medical papers with vitamin D in the title or abstract, which confirm the miraculous health benefits of vitamin D for the physical and mental health, including:
- Type 1 and 2 diabetes
- Autism, Alzheimer’s, and other brain dysfunction
- Heart disease and stroke
- Bacterial and viral infections
- Treats depression
- Pregnancy outcomes (lower risk of Cesarean section and pre-eclampsia)
- Soothes pain in diabetes
- Helps in the case of breast cancer
- Treats Crohn’s disease
Previous research has linked the reduced vitamin D levels with an increased risk of Crohn’s disease and by correcting the vitamin D deficiency one improves symptoms of the disease.
Yet, a recent study has found a “significant interaction between vitamin D levels and Crohn’s disease susceptibility, as well as a significant association between vitamin D levels and genotype.”
Image courtesy of: The Noisy Plume
