Its winter and GHN have been hard at work with some in depth research on Vitamin D.
After in depth professional testing & feedback and partnered work with Chiropractors from the North-West region of the United Kingdom, our latest blog looks at the benefits of adding Vitamin D & other Multivitamins to your body's winter defences, as well as skeleton health & protection.
A human body produces vitamin D as a response to sun exposure. A person can also boost their Vitamin D intake through certain Foods or Supplements.
Vitamin D is essential for several reasons, including maintaining healthy bones and teeth. It may also protect against a range of diseases and conditions, such as type 1 diabetes. Despite its name, vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a prohormone, or precursor of a hormone.
Vitamins are nutrients that the body cannot create, and so a person must consume them in the diet. However, the body can produce vitamin D.
In this blog, we look at the benefits of vitamin D, what happens to the body when people do not get enough, and how to boost vitamin D intake.
Benefits Of Vitamin D:
Vitamin D has multiple roles in the body. It assists in:
- Promoting healthy bones and teeth.
- Supporting immune, brain, and nervous system health.
- Regulating insulin levels and supporting diabetes management.
- Supporting lung function and cardiovascular health.
- Influencing the expression of genes involved in cancer development.
Read on to find out about these roles in more detail:
1. Healthy Bones -
Vitamin D plays a significant role in the regulation of calcium and maintenance of phosphorus levels in the blood. These factors are vital for maintaining healthy bones. People need vitamin D to allow the intestines to stimulate and absorb calcium and reclaim calcium that the kidneys would otherwise excrete.
Vitamin D deficiency in children can cause rickets, which leads to a severely bow legged appearance due to the softening of the bones. Similarly, in adults, vitamin D deficiency manifests as osteomalacia, or softening of the bones. Osteomalacia results in poor bone density and muscular weakness.
A vitamin D deficiency can also present as osteoporosis. According to national surveys in the UK, across the population approximately 1 in 5 people have low vitamin D levels. Low vitamin D levels are associated with a higher risk of poor musculoskeletal health such as rickets, osteomalacia, falls and poor muscle strength.
2. Reduced Risk Of Flu -
A 2020 review of existing research suggested that some studies had found that vitamin D had a protective effect against the influenza virus. However, other studies where vitamin D did not have this effect on flu risk. Further research is, therefore, necessary to confirm the protective effect of vitamin D on the flu.
3. Healthy Pregnancy -
A 2020 review suggests that pregnant women who are deficient in vitamin D may have a greater risk of developing preeclampsia and giving birth preterm.
Doctors also associate poor vitamin D status with gestational diabetes and bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women. It is also important to note that in a 2020 study, researchers associated high vitamin D levels during pregnancy with an increased risk of food allergy in the child during the first 2 years of life.
Sources Of Vitamin D -
Getting sufficient sunlight is the best way to help the body produce enough vitamin D. However is you are unable to
Plentiful food sources of vitamin D include:
- Fatty Fish, Such As Salmon, Mackerel, And Tuna.
- Egg Yolks.
- Cheese.
- Beef Liver.
- Mushrooms.
- Fortified Milk.
- Fortified Cereals And Juices
Vitamin D Deficiencies -
Symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency may include:
- Regular Sickness Or Infection.
- Fatigue.
- Bone And Back Pain.
- Low Mood.
- Impaired Wound Healing.
- Hair Loss.
- Muscle Pain.
In Summary - Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
Recommend GHN Products - These professionally tried and tested GHN products can and will help combat all forms of deficiencies.
