by Lori Salsgiver

Created on: November 03, 2010   Last Updated: November 06, 2010

Vitamin D offers a wide variety of benefits to the human body to include the aiding in absorption of calcium, fending off osteoporosis, warding off autoimmune diseases, the reduction of inflammation, keeping your blood pressure low and it was recently determined to help  fight off some forms of cancer.  It is the only known vitamin that the body produces naturally and is considered a hormone.  Your body can make this “vitamin” through the absorption of 15 minutes of sunlight daily. The human body must filter Vitamin D through the kidney and liver before it is useful to you.  Vitamin D balances out your levels of calcium in your blood stream and helps your blood to clot normally. This vitamin is vital to infants and small children as their bones and teeth are still developing.  It is obvious that a deficiency in Vitamin D can negatively impact your body in numerous ways.  

One of the common ailments found in the elderly is the development of osteoporosis.   As people age their bones become weak and brittle due to the lack of calcium or vitamin D in their diets.   This can lead to pain, fractures and other debilitating conditions.  To prevent osteoporosis aging adults should take Vitamin D as a part of their daily vitamin supplements and eat foods that contain Vitamin D such as milk, cheese, yogurt or sardines.  Vitamin D can also help delay or stop the onset of autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Type I Diabetes, and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

There is a correlation between Vitamin D and high blood pressure.  People who have been diagnosed with high blood pressure can lower their systolic numbers over a period of time if they add a Vitamin D supplement.  There is evidence that points to an increase in high blood pressure cases during the winter months which could suggest a deficiency in Vitamin D however not enough research has been done to verify this medical coincidence.

While the tests for the benefits of cancer prevention are still very preliminary, there is a lot of promising data resulting from research studies.  Researchers have found significant reduction in cancers such as breast and colon cancer with the intake of Vitamin D verses people who did not take Vitamin D.  There is also evidence the Vitamin D has killed cancer cells in lab rats.

People who have a Vitamin D deficiency over a period of time can develop autoimmune diseases and other health problems.  Many common health problems are often misdiagnosed because many medical professionals fail to look for a Vitamin D deficiency.    For example Fibromyalgia could be mistakenly diagnosed if a doctor fails to look for a Vitamin D deficiency.  Unfortunately, Fibromyalgia and Vitamin D deficiency display the same type of symptoms, making it harder to make a distinction unless the necessary tests are completed.   Rickets a bone wasting disease is said to be caused by a vitamin D deficiency as well and can be found commonly in children.   

Plenty of information points to the positive effects Vitamin D have on the human body.  From preventing osteoporosis to possibly preventing some forms of cancer, Vitamin D shows real promise in the future in the advancement of medicine and helping people understand it’s over all benefits.   As more research is conducted in the future, more helpful health benefits will result in taking or “basking” in Vitamin D. 

Learn more about this author, Lori Salsgiver.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.