Vitamin D is needed by children to adults to maintain bone health. Besides being useful for bones, there are still many benefits of vitamin D that can be felt by the body. Starting from regulating calcium levels, to preventing a number of serious diseases.
Although commonly referred to as a vitamin, actually vitamin D is not just a vitamin, but is considered a pro-hormone. Vitamins are nutrients that must be obtained through food or supplements, because the body cannot make itself. However, vitamin D can be produced by the human body from sunlight (UV rays) that are absorbed by the skin.
Various Benefits of Vitamin D
According to research, the benefits of vitamin D not only maintain bone strength, but can also reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including:
- CancerVitamin D is believed to help prevent colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer. The active vitamin D hormone called calcitriol can reduce the growth of cancer cells by increasing cancer cell death, slowing the development of new blood vessels in cancer tissue, and reducing the growth, expansion, and spread of cancer cells.
- DiabetesThe higher the level of vitamin D in the body, the lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Inadequate levels of vitamin D adversely affect insulin production and glucose tolerance. According to research, sufficient vitamin D during childhood will prevent children from type 1 diabetes.
- PregnancyPregnant women who are deficient in vitamin D are more at risk of developing preeclampsia, giving birth by caesarean section, gestational diabetes, and bacterial vaginosis. Vitamin D is also useful for supporting fetal growth and development as well as the growth of bones and teeth. However, vitamin D levels that are too high during pregnancy are also not good because it will increase the risk of food allergies in children.
- Multiple sclerosisAccording to research, a person with low levels of vitamin D is at risk of developing multiple sclerosis and some autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, thyroid disease, Crohn's disease, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease. This is because vitamin D also affects the immune system.
- DepressionVitamin D is believed to play a role in brain development and function. If the level of vitamin D in a person is high, the risk of depression will be reduced. Conversely, if the level of vitamin D in him is low, the risk of depression and neurological and brain disorders will increase. Therefore, vitamin D is also important to be consumed as a nutrient to prevent depression.
Get Vitamin D Naturally
In order not to contract the various diseases mentioned above, you can get vitamin D from the following sources:
- Sunlight
When sunlight enters the skin, the body makes its own vitamin D. Even so, don't bask in the sun for too long and don't forget to wear sunscreen so that your skin doesn't burn. Basking in the sun is also known to increase endurance, so many believe that this is a good thing to do to prevent Corona virus infection.
- FoodBesides being formed by the body with the help of sunlight, vitamin D can also be obtained from several types of food, such as oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), eggs, milk, mushrooms, beef liver, cod liver oil, tuna, and yogurt.
Eat foods with balanced nutrition and bask in the sun in the morning, so that your body can get the maximum benefits of vitamin D. No less important, try to always exercise, so that your health condition is always maintained.