VITAMIN D & HEALTH

How beneficial is Vitamin D for your health and skin?

We all know that Vitamin D, like all vitamins, is beneficial for our bodies. The question now is how does Vitamin D benefit us exactly?

Vitamin D plays a crucial role in ensuring our bones and teeth stay healthy. Our bodies require Vitamin D to help us absorb calcium and phosphorus, which plays an important role in maintaining bone health.¹ Without Vitamin D, the probability of bone diseases like osteoporosis increases as the bones become weak and more brittle. Vitamin D deficiency also weakens the muscles, increasing chances of falls and fractures due to weak bones.²

So besides healthy bones and teeth, what are some other benefits that Vitamin D contributes to the overall well-being of our bodies?

Health

Vitamin D is essential in not only ensuring strong bones, but it also strengthens our immune system. Recent studies have shown that Vitamin D lowers the risk of contracting autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS). A particular study in the US among young white adult males and females showed that individuals with the highest Vitamin D levels are 62% less likely to develop MS as compared to those with low Vitamin D.³

Skin

Vitamin D plays a crucial role as a modulator for your immune system. This means that it helps stimulate the immune system to fight against cancer, infection, and diseases.⁴ With a compromised immune system, it weakens the protective barrier on our skin; increasing risks of inflammation and infection. This further exacerbates existing skin issues like acne, eczema, and rosacea.

Till today, Vitamin D is used to reduce inflammation and is also used to help protect the skin by stimulating cell proliferation.⁵ There are also studies that show the effectiveness of Vitamin D when it comes to preventing ageing. This is because Vitamin D helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays that are the main contributors of wrinkles and lines.⁶

Mental Health

It is also found that there are Vitamin D receptors in our brain that are associated with depression. Research has also shown that pregnant women levels below the Vitamin D normal range are more likely to develop postpartum depression.^7,8 There are also studies with findings that people experienced improvements in their moods and symptoms of depression after taking Vitamin D supplements.^9,10,11,12 It is also found that there are Vitamin D receptors in our brain that are associated with depression.

Aside from depression, a lack of Vitamin D has been found to potentially cause Alzheimer’s which is a form of dementia. Currently, there’s no cure for dementia. You can read more about Vitamin D and dementia here.

To ensure you’re getting enough Vitamin D, it is important to check with a doctor when you’re feeling symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency like exhaustion, weakness, bone pain, and depression.¹³ A change in lifestyle, diet, or the use of supplements can boost Vitamin D levels to a normal range. Doctors may also administer a test to measure your Vitamin D levels to ensure they are recommending the right Vitamin D supplement dose.

At Sunshine Vitamin, we work hand in hand with many clinics island wide. Our partner doctors can diagnose Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency in both adults and children. They also carry a wide range of Sunshine Vitamin supplements that are made specifically to help individuals with Vitamin D deficiency. Our supplements are available in different presentations including solutions and sprays.

Locate our partner clinics here to schedule a consultation or speak to us directly!

References
1) Healthline Media, and Debra Sullivan. “Vitamin D: Benefits, Sources, Deficiencies – Nutrition.” Available at:
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/benefits-vitamin-d. Accessed 28 September 2022.
2) National Library of Medicine. “The effect of vitamin D on bone and osteoporosis.”
Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21872800/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
3) KL, Munger, et al. “Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis Available at:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/204651/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
4) Eskander, Mark, and Mohammed S. Razzaque. “Immunomodulatory Effects of Vitamin D in Pregnancy and Beyond.” Available at:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02739/full. Accessed 28 September 2022.
5) Byrdie. “Vitamin D for Skin: The Complete Guide.” Available at:
https://www.byrdie.com/vitamin-d-for-skin-4783626#toc-benefits-of-vitamin-d-for-skin. Accessed 28 September 2022.
6) Brown, Laura. “8 Anti-Aging Vitamins and Nutrients That Actually Work, Ranked.”
Available at:
https://scitechdaily.com/8-anti-aging-vitamins-and-nutrients-that-actually-work-ranked/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
7) Fallah, Melika, et al. “Is Vitamin D Status Associated with Depression, Anxiety and Sleep Quality in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33072644/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
8) Xiao-Hu, Zhao, and Zhang Zhi-Hua. “Risk factors for postpartum depression: An evidence-based systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32927309/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
9) Sharifi, Amrollah et al. “Vitamin D Decreases Beck Depression Inventory Score in Patients with Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29958055/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
10) Libuda, Lars et al. “Effect of vitamin D deficiency on depressive symptoms in child and adolescent psychiatric patients: results of a randomized controlled trial.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32108263/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
11) Omidian, Mahsa et al. “Effects of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptoms in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: Randomized placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31405646/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
12) Kaviani, Mina et al. “Effects of vitamin D supplementation on depression and some involved neurotransmitters.” Available at:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32217340/. Accessed 28 September 2022.
13) Cleveland Clinic. “Vitamin D Deficiency: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment.” Available at:
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15050-vitamin-d-vitamin-d-deficiency. Accessed 28 September 2022.