Vitamins, Vitamins & More Vitamins

Vitamin D

Vitamin D has three main health benefits, most commonly is vitamin D is known as the “Sunshine Vitamin” because of its ability to help your body through your exposure to sunlight. The first benefit of Vitamin D is its ability to fight off different common diseases. Research suggests that vitamin D may also play a role in:

• reducing your risk of multiple sclerosis, according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association
• decreasing your chance of developing heart disease, according to 2008 findings published in Circulation
• helping to reduce your likelihood of developing the flu, according to 2010 research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

 

Vitamin D also has mental health advantages. It can help with depression which is a common mental health disease that this generation of teens are facing. Research has shown that vitamin D might play an important role in regulating mood and warding off depression. In one study, scientists found that people with depression who received vitamin D supplements noticed an improvement in their symptoms. In another study of people with fibromyalgia, researchers found vitamin D deficiency was more common in those who were also experiencing anxiety and depression.

I face experience with this spot on. I often notice an improvement in my mood when exposed to vitamin D from the sun, when it was a warmer day with the sun peaked out I noticed more people were optimistic and willing to participate in more things. Where as, when we have rainy weather or stormy weather, often people lack this motivation of doing things and are tempted to lay around and to accomplish nothing. I, myself, am guilty of this especially in high school. I always hated bad weather and my friends would always speak on how the weather directly affects my mood. But of course, to get used to state college weather, I learned that I had to adjust to being with out the sun for days.

The final main benefit from vitamin D is that it can help with weight loss. This generation faces high numbers of obesity, it can be one of the top health killers and when people fall into this obesity category it is hard to get out of it. Consider adding vitamin D supplements to your diet if you’re trying to lose weight or prevent heart disease. In one study, people taking a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement were able to lose more weight than subjects taking a placebo supplement. The scientists said the extra calcium and vitamin D had an appetite-suppressing effect. In another study, overweight people who took a daily vitamin D supplement improved their heart disease risk markers.

I often remind my family members of the importance of vitamin D, although obesity has not been a silent killer in my genetic history, heart problems and difference heart diseases are. So the fact that this could be avoided by making simple healthier choices in our daily lives inspires me to help other people and tell them how they can live a healthier lifestyle.