We need a daily dose of the “sunshine vitamin,” not just to brighten up our day, but to maintain a healthy body. About 50% of children and adults do not have enough vitamin D in their bodies. Make sure you’re supplying your body with enough vitamin D every day because vitamin D deficiency has been linked to health risks such as rickets, osteomalacia, and type 2 diabetes.

Benefits

Vitamin D plays an essential part in several bodily functions and preventing various diseases. Here are some of the positive effects of having a healthy amount of vitamin D:

• Bone strength and structure. Vitamin D helps regulate calcium and phosphorus levels in the bloodstream. These minerals are significant in maintaining strong bones. Children with vitamin D deficiency have a higher risk of developing rickets caused by the softening of bones, while adults can acquire osteomalacia or osteoporosis.
• Flu prevention. A study showed that children who were supplemented daily with 1,200 IU (international units) of vitamin D for four months throughout winter were less susceptible to influenza A by more than 40%.
• Diabetes prevention. Many studies found an inverse correlation between vitamin D levels in the body and the chances of developing type 2 diabetes; the more vitamin D you have in your body, the less prone you are to this type of diabetes. For those who are already suffering from type 2 diabetes, low vitamin D levels may worsen their condition, decreasing insulin production and lowering glucose tolerance.
• Atopic childhood disease prevention. Lack of vitamin D may trigger or worsen atopic diseases (asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema) and allergy in children. Atopic diseases happen when the immune system is dysfunctional, causing allergic inflammation. Supplementing vitamin D with glucocorticoid medication to fight such illnesses can boost the said medicine’s anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Healthy pregnancy. Insufficient vitamin D in pregnant women may lead to preeclampsia, a disease that usually develops in late pregnancy, indicated by symptoms like a rise in blood pressure and excessive weight gain. It also heightens the necessity for a Caesarean section.
• Cancer prevention. Vitamin D plays an important role in healthy cell development and intercellular communication. A few studies indicate that a form of vitamin D, calcitriol, may slow down cancer progression by impairing the growth of blood vessels supporting cancerous tissues.

Sources Of Vitamin D

Only a few foods naturally contain significant amounts of vitamin D. These include cod liver oil, swordfish, salmon, canned tuna, beef liver, egg yolks, and sardines. It can be difficult to supply your body with vitamin D purely from food.

To ensure you get a healthy dose of vitamin D daily, you can expose your skin to sunlight or take vitamin D supplements.

If you want a free, natural, daily supply of vitamin D, opt for the first choice. Sun exposure enables your body to produce large amounts of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), the natural form of vitamin D synthesized in the body from exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun.

Drawing the line between a healthy dose of UVB light and overexposure that leads to sunburn may be difficult. For a person with pale skin, overexposure may occur in as little as 15 minutes. For a person with dark skin, this may take a couple of hours. This is because dark skin contains more melanin, which acts as a barrier for UV light.

Follow these steps to achieve the right balance between healthy sun exposure and avoiding skin damage:

• Step out during the midday, the ideal time to get sunlight. At noon, the sun is at its highest point, which means you get sufficient UVB exposure for a shorter time.
• Consider your location. If you live far from the equator, you need more time under the sun. The farther you are from the equator, the less UVB rays are able to penetrate through the ozone layer over your area.
• Use a protective and nourishing sunscreen like TreeActiv Safflower Oleosomes Sunscreen to avoid sunburn. Enriched with Zinc Oxide, Safflower Oleosomes, and Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, this fast-absorbing formula provides broad spectrum protection against UV damage. Sunflower Seed Oil, with its rich Vitamin E content, is known to deliver long-lasting hydration by locking moisture inside skin cells.

 

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/161618.php

https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/070114p48.shtml

https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2005/182/6/6-atopic-disease-childhood

https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/how-do-i-get-the-vitamin-d-my-body-needs/#.XQeKsogzbIU