Research on vitamin D shows that “the sunshine vitamin” may play a more important role in your health than initially thought.
What does vitamin D do?
Vitamin D is technically not a vitamin. It’s actually a secosteroid hormone, meaning, it’s similar to a steroid and is essential for calcium absorption, which is critical in building strong, healthy bones. Vitamin D also:
Risks of vitamin D deficiency
Since vitamin D is necessary in the development and repair of your bones, insufficient vitamin D can result in thin, brittle and misshapen bones, as well as osteomalacia (soft bones) and osteoporosis (porous bones) in aging women. Moreover, women with breast cancer have accelerated bone loss due to hormone therapy and chemotherapy—made worse with low levels of vitamin D.
But that might not be all. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology noted that being vitamin D deficient could increase your risks of dying from heart disease or stroke.
Get your vitamin D
Vitamin D is found in foods such as cheese, fish, eggs and in fortified milk and cereals. For most people, sunlight is their major source of vitamin D—sunlight helps our bodies make vitamin D.
Keep in mind that vitamin D is just one component in a very complex system known as the human body. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider if you’re concerned about vitamin D deficiency.
Has it been a while since your last check-up, or do you need a new physician? Call us at 317.565.0535 to request an appointment.
Sources: AJE.OxfordJournals.org, NIA.NIH.gov
