Why is vitamin D good for you?

Vitamin D is an important vitamin for your body. This fat-soluble vitamin is found in fish oils and liver, and is sometimes added to foods as a supplement. You can also get vitamin D from exposure to the sun. There are many reasons why vitamin D is good for you. Here are 7 of them:The Importance of Vitamin D

  1. It helps your intestines absorb calcium. Vitamin D is important  for maintaining your bone strength and muscle function.
  2. It directly stimulates osteoblasts. Osteoblast are the cells in your body that produce bone and promote healing.
  3. A recent study revealed that vitamin D with a calcium supplement was effective at raising vitamin D levels and reducing falls and secondary non-vertebral fracture risk in older patients.
  4. It’s very important for people to maintain a good level, especially in light of the fact we have an aging population with a rising lifespan. As we age the risk of osteoporosis and subsequent fractures increase. Maintaining a normal vitamin D level is important for our bone health.
  5. Vitamin D can be obtained from the sun, diet, and supplements. Although the primary source of vitamin D is the sun’s ultraviolet rays, synthesis decreases with increasing age, sun protection and darker skin tones.
  6. Because of the risk of melanoma and skin cancer secondary to sun exposure, more and more people are wearing sun block which does not allow the production of vitamin D through sun exposure. Therefore this supplementation has become even more important.
  7. Vitamin D supplementation is recommended in a dose of 1000 international units to 2000 international units per day. That number may change based on your levels. It’s important to have your levels checked by your healthcare provider and they will give you an accurate dose of vitamin D that you should be taking as a supplement.