Head to Toe Benefits of Vitamin D
Originally, vitamin D was touted for its bone benefits.
More recently, it’s been highlighted for its ability to strengthen your immune system.
But health benefits like these are merely scratching the surface of why the “sunshine vitamin” is so high on my must-have list.
Today, I want to highlight 12 of the top reasons this nutrient is good for you from head to toe.
When it comes to your body and your health, vitamin D is the gift that just keeps giving.
Here are 12 benefits of vitamin D that you might not know about.
- Brain health
Studies have shown that vitamin D improves memory and cognitive function, that it can help protect against Alzheimer’s, and that it can even help boost your mood.
- Eye health
Vitamin D could help prevent macular degeneration, a progressive eye disease that can lead to blindness. Mouse studies have also shown that vitamin D can reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of blindness.
- Ear health
Structures within your ear are responsible for balance. When these go awry, it can lead to vertigo, which is an uncomfortable, debilitating condition that leaves you with a sensation of dizziness and spinning.
Vitamin D, along with calcium, has been shown to improve symptoms of vertigo, and to reduce your risk of getting it again.
- Teeth health
Studies have shown that levels of vitamin D are associated with a 50 percent reduced risk of tooth decay.
- Gum health
Bacterial infections in the gums lead to gingivitis and periodontitis. Vitamin D helps protect your teeth from the infections that lead to gum disease.
- Heart health
Amazingly, 200 genes in your heart are regulated by vitamin D. It prevents cholesterol from building up in your arteries, helps regulate blood pressure, and improves heart cell function.
- Lung health
Vitamin D has been shown to reduce lung disease flareups by 40 percent. And in people with asthma, taking vitamin D along with their asthma medication reduced the number of severe asthma attacks.
- Gut health
A mouse study showed that vitamin D improved signs of metabolic syndrome (a condition made up of a cluster of condition such as, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal lipids) by boosting healthy gut bacteria.
- Liver health
Higher levels of vitamin D have been associated with a 30-50 percent reduced risk of liver cancer.
- Reproductive health
Having healthy levels of vitamin D can help boost fertility in men, and can help women have healthier babies.
- Bone health
Vitamin D is essential for building and maintaining strong bones. Deficient levels can lead to osteoporosis.
- Joint health
Having healthy levels of vitamin D is associated with a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, which commonly affects the knees. And low D levels are associated with worse osteoarthritis symptoms.
P.S. Even if you’re getting all the vitamin D you need, it won’t be able to do its job effectively if you don’t ALSO have plenty of this vitamin. Click here for all the details.
