Vitamin supplements are nothing new; most people are fully aware that increasing their intake of vitamins as a whole can have some tremendous health benefits. However, many people are unsure of the roles specific vitamins play inside the body.
The spotlight is usually shone on vitamin C and E but there are other vitamins that are just as crucial and beneficial, especially over the winter. Vitamin D is one that many people forget or don’t know about but should certainly consider increasing their intake of.
Vitamin D deficiency is very common, particularly in countries that have cooler climates and fewer hours of sunshine. As you may have guessed, during the autumn and winter months, people here in the UK tend to be much lower on vitamin D.
There are a large number of studies that show a link between low levels of vitamin D and a number of health conditions and diseases including diabetes, Alzheimer’s, heart disease and some forms of cancer. It should be noted that it cannot be clear in some cases whether the lack of vitamin D is a cause or if it comes as the result of the illness itself but there are enough links to different diseases for a deficiency to be a major concern.
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in adults include the following:
If you experience any of the above symptoms and go to the doctor, a vitamin D deficiency can be spotted through the use of a simple blood test. Some form of vitamin D supplement will usually be the required course of action.
Before we go any further, it is important to briefly touch on the different types of vitamin D that are available since you are likely to come across a couple of variations in supplement stores. The two most important types of vitamin D for health are vitamin D2 and D3.
D2 is produced by plants and is usually ingested through plant and animal sources in our diets. Vitamin D3 is synthesised by our bodies after we have been exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunshine.
You can buy both types in supplement form but it is generally accepted that vitamin D3 is more important to our health since it is the type that most people become deficient in. The main cause for the lack of vitamin D3 is low exposure to sunlight, which is extremely common during cold months with individuals that spend most of the daylight hours indoors.
The easiest way to increase your intake of vitamin D3 is through supplementation. Taking a daily D3 supplement will not only stave off the symptoms of deficiency but can also have some excellent health benefits. Here are the main benefits of vitamin D3 supplements:
1. Stronger teeth and bones
This one is perhaps the most widely known benefit of sufficient vitamin D intake. Vitamin D is essential for optimal strength and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth.
Stronger bones mean lower instances of fractures, particularly stress fractures, and a decreased risk of developing osteoporosis.
2. Reduced risk of diseases
By improving immune function and decreasing levels of inflammation, vitamin D has been observed to decrease the risk of an individual developing a wide range of conditions from heart disease to multiple sclerosis.
Studies show that it can help to reduce your chances of developing the flu, which is commonplace in the upcoming winter months over here in the UK.
3. May aid with weight management
There has been some research to suggest that a daily vitamin D supplement could enhance weight loss and make it easier to stay within a healthy weight range.
It is thought that vitamin D may help to improve metabolic function and suppress appetite, which could help with weight loss over time.
4. Reduces depression
A study from 2008 notes that individuals with depression who were given a vitamin D supplement saw an improvement in their symptoms over the course of 1 year versus a group who were given a placebo.
It seems that vitamin D intake can have an effect on certain hormones that are related to feelings of depression.
Vitamin D3 dosage has been subject to a lot of debate and the general guidelines of just a few hundred IU each day seem to be much lower than research suggest is required.
Dosages are somewhat dependant on where you live since the amount of sunshine you get each day will increase your levels. However, an upper limit of 10,000 IU per day has been observed to be safe by some of the research.
In reality, a dosage of 1000-2000 IU daily should be adequate for most individuals.
To make things easy for you, our vitamin D3 capsules contain 1000IU each so that you simply need to take a single capsule per day (with food for better absorption).
