Why Do We Need Vitamin D

"In all my many years of practice of medicine, I've never seen one vitamin, even vitamin C, have such profound effects on human health". ~ Dr. Soram Khalsa, board-certified internist and medical director for the East-West Medical Research Institute.

Vitamin D is considered to be extremely essential for the overall health benefits, and prevention from some fatal illnesses, that may occur in the human body. Even scientists have identified the need of this vitamin as the ultimate natural source of preventing diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, bone diseases and autoimmune diseases. But what exactly is Vitamin D? Basically, vitamin D is a hormone, which is fat soluble and is produced by the body when exposed to sunlight containing UVB rays. Experts suggests that a simple 10 minutes exposure to sunlight with UVB rays at least 3 times a week, can provide adequate amount of vitamin D in the body. If speaking in numbers, then we humans need about 10,000 IU of vitamin D everyday. Although, soaking the sun's rays everyday for 10 minutes doesn't seem to be a pretty big deal, it also depends upon the geographic location that you stay in. It is important to soak the sunrays which have highest UVB rays. Also if you are located in a place where there is little sunlight, then you will have to depend upon other sources of vitamin D for your daily supply. As for now, let us have a look at the need for vitamin D in the human body.

Why Do We Need Vitamin D in our Body?

"I would recommend that every patient, every person in America get their vitamin D checked, because so many people are low, and the ramifications of having low vitamin D are so severe". ~ Dr. Richard Honaker, family practice physician.

The aforementioned quote is more than sufficient to tell you why does one need vitamin D in the body. Statistics reveal that more than 80% of Americans are suffering from vitamin D deficiency..., and trust me... it is a big deal! Vitamin D is a divine contributor to the total health and healthy functioning of the human body. Be it your physical or mental health, a simple sun bath for 10 minutes can save you from a lot of health related issues.

Stronger Bones
Did you know that vitamin D is an amazing source of calcium? It is because of this feature that vitamin D is a blessing for people suffering from bone and teeth related problems like osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteomalacia, rickets (in children) etc. Therefore, if you make sure that you are taking adequate (not excess) intake of vitamin D, you are likely to reduce the chances of developing the diseases which can cause fragile bones and teeth.

Chronic Illnesses, No More!
Almost every other person today is suffering from chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart problems, obesity, high blood pressure and so on. Studies reveal that a daily intake of vitamin D helps reduce the risks of developing these illnesses to a great extent. Take diabetes for example, it is believed that vitamin D increases the response which helps in releasing the insulin in the body. This makes me wonder, that in earlier days, the occurrence of these diseases were pretty less as compared to now. Could it be because earlier, the people worked out in the sun, and now people are locked up in their air conditioned houses, cars and offices? It sure is a thing to think about!

Vitamin D equals Longer Life
Surprised? But yes, studies have revealed that people who have adequate amount of vitamin D in their daily diet are more prone to live a longer and healthier life. We all know that our mind feels much more relaxed and happy under the sun, right? Studies also reveal that vitamin D helps reduce stress levels in a person and also lowers the chances of depression, stress, anxiety and other mental disorders like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Not only this, the 'sunshine vitamin' is responsible for regulating more than 200 genes in the entire human body. These genes are present in various body organs like the brain, heart, breasts, prostate, bones, kidney, intestines and the overall immune system...which brings us to the next point.

Increases Immunity
Vitamin D helps in boosting up the immune system of the body to fight against many serious infections like Lupus, tuberculosis, pneumonia and even cancer! Recent studies reveal that additional intake of vitamin D by just 1000 IU can decrease the risk of colon cancer by almost 50%. Not only this, speaking of breast cancer, the risk can be lowered down to almost 30%. A stronger immunity means a stronger resistance to autoimmune diseases. This is the reason why experts associate vitamin D deficiency with higher death rates! Isn't this a good enough reason for including vitamin D in our diet?

The need for vitamin D is more necessary in some people as compared to others. What I mean to say is that vitamin D becomes more essential in early childhood as they are prone to suffer from various health issues associated with vitamin D deficiency like rickets, infections and other autoimmune diseases. Even pregnant women and nursing mothers should consume adequate amount of vitamin D for their individual health as well as the baby's health. Another point to be noted is that the elderly people are more likely to produce less vitamin D as compared to the young adults. This is why, experts advice that the people who are more than 50 years old should stay in the sun for a longer period of time.

What are the Sources of Vitamin D?

Although many supplements and foods contain vitamin D, even then, the best source for your daily vitamin D formation is nothing but the Sun. Now many of us are afraid of too much of sun exposure as it may be harmful to the skin. In response to this statement I would like to quote this quote by Dr. Michael R. Eades, "The danger of too much sun is minimal - the danger of too little sun is enormous". That is right, we soak our skin with sunscreens and sunblock to protect ourselves from the 'harmful' rays of the sun, however, did you know that this leads to major contribution in preventing the formation of vitamin D by almost 95%! Which is why experts advice that you must soak the sun when the amount of UVB rays are at the highest, which happens around 10:30 am to 2 pm. However, it also depends upon your geographical location. So check with your local weather channel to check on the UV index in your city. Make sure that you soak the sun when the UV index is 3 or more. Apart from that, there are many food items that are rich in vitamin D, which can add to your daily vitamin D needs. Food items that are rich in vitamin D includes fish like tuna, salmon, halibut, sardines, mackerel and so on. Even milk contains about 100-400 IU of vitamin D. Also, foods like cheese, yogurts, mushrooms, beef liver, egg yolk, cereals and fortified orange juice; are great sources of vitamin D.

Make sure that you consume adequate amount of vitamin D..., the sun being the best source, and live a longer and healthier life. To conclude, I would just like to quote the following, "The sun is the orchestra leader for the dance of life. Every living thing on earth vibrates to the energy of the sun, including people. For a long time people have been victims of a huge scam that made them think they were supposed to hide indoors or under a blanket of sunscreen while the rest of life basked in the glory of the sun. Now they are catching on that they too need the sun's life-giving force". ~ Barbara Minton, natural health editor.