Vitamin D also known as “sunshine vitamin” is most commonly produced by exposure to the sun. While we spend time trying to cope with the cold and snow that winter brought us, very few of us think about vitamin D.
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| via myLifeZ |
However, symptoms such as fatigue and muscle pain are one of the most obvious signs that our body might have vitamin D deficiency. Its deficiency can cause various problems in the body, such as:
1. Overweight
Men, women, and children with overweight problems have a 35% chance to have vitamin D deficiency compared to people with normal weight. The reason for this is that obesity limits the body's ability to use vitamin D through diet or the sun because fat cells retain vitamins and they don't release them for the body to process them.
More: Hidden reasons that contribute to gaining weight
2. Insulin resistance and diabetes
Insulin resistance leads to increased blood sugar levels in diabetics this can be associated with a lack of vitamin D. Several studies have shown that supplementation with vitamin D does not increase insulin sensitivity in healthy people without diabetes. Diabetics, however, have significantly lower levels of vitamin D, which is associated with obesity and metabolic disorders.
3. Heart disease
A study from 2009 showed that subjects with extremely low levels of vitamin D were 3 times more likely to die of heart failure, and 5 times more likely for it to happen from a sudden heart attack. But experts say that there is not yet enough evidence to support that higher concentration of vitamin D in the body can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders, so it is too early to conclude whether taking vitamin D supplements could improve your heart health.
4. Premature birth
The results of the study conducted on more than 2,000 pregnant women showed that those who had high levels of vitamin D had a lower risk of birth before the 37th week. It is thought that vitamin D has a protective effect that reduces bacterial infection in the placenta, which can cause premature labor.
5. Diseases of the gums and loss of teeth
Vitamin D plays a crucial role in protecting teeth as we age. Various studies have shown that those with higher levels of the vitamin had lower chances of tooth decay and that various gum diseases are directly linked to vitamin D deficiency.
6. Erectile dysfunction
According to research done in 2015, men who have vitamin D deficiency are 32% more likely to develop erectile dysfunction. The study's authors say the results reflect the effect vitamin D has on vascular function, including the blood vessels that carry blood to the genitals.
7. Pancreatic, prostate, breast and bowel cancer
All these diseases are thought to somehow be associated with vitamin D deficiency - eg. 60% of patients with prostate cancer receiving additional doses of the vitamin D daily, showed a significant improvement.
8. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Various studies have proven the connection between low levels of vitamin D with abnormalities in brain structure, cognitive impairment, and dementia. There are ongoing studies that aim to prove whether vitamin supplementation may offer some sort of prevention or treatment for these diseases.
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