~You hear a lot about vitamin D these days. It seems like every time you turn around there is a new study connecting it to some additional health benefit. Vitamin D is essential for so many important bodily functions, AND 42% of Americans are deficient in it. If you haven’t had your vitamin D levels checked, we encourage you to do so, and then supplement (as directed by a qualified health professional) to make sure you have adequate vitamin D stores. Following are 4 additional amazing things you may not know about vitamin D:
1) VITAMIN D MAKES YOU SMARTER
~Well, more accurately, it helps to protect the smarts you’ve already got, an important task considering that we will all develop some degree of cognitive decline as we age and this deterioration can begin as early as the mid twenties. Low blood vitamin D levels have consistently been linked with a decline in cognitive function. Vitamin D may be especially important in protecting cognitive function as we age too
2) VITAMIN D MAKES YOU STRONG
~It is well known that vitamin D is necessary for strong healthy bones since it is required for calcium absorption and plays a role in ensuring that calcium is delivered to the bones, but it may improve muscle strength as well. Early in the 20th century researchers began noticing that exposure to UV radiation (the same that is necessary for vitamin D production) had a positive influence on athletic performance. Today, modern studies have found that low vitamin D levels correlate with poorer physical performance, especially in older people. And a few studies have even found that supplementation with vitamin D improves strength, speed and overall physical performance.
3) VITAMIN D CAN GET YOU IN GOOD WITH THE BOSS
~If you’re one who misses work a lot because you or your kids are sick, vitamin D might be your ticket to good-attendance redemption. One of the main functions of vitamin D is to modulate the immune system, supporting a healthy inflammatory response and stimulating the expression of anti-microbial peptides that support a healthy immune response in the respiratory tract. Vitamin D levels within the normal range help to keep the immune system strong so it can better protect us from infections
4) VITAMIN D MAKES YOU HAPPY
~Low vitamin D levels have consistently been linked to mood issues, such as feeling blue. Although more research is needed, small preliminary human trials suggest that vitamin D supplementation helps to improve sense of wellbeing and support a healthy mood
– Learn more at: https://www.naturalgrocers.com/blog/healthy-family/4-amazing-things-you-didnt-know-vitamin-d-could-do-for-you ~By Heather Pratt, MNT, BCHN
