Vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone and skin health, among many other things. Too little Vitamin D may result in bone ailments such as rickets, found in Vitamin D deficient children, and osteoporosis, found in Vitamin D decision adults. However, very few people are knowledgeable about the importance of Vitamin D to general health and well-being.
Recent research has found a link between being deficient in Vitamin D and cancer, and Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, a compromised immune system, and cognitive degeneration. Autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, have also been associated with Vitamin D deficiency.
A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine has also found a link between colds and the flu and Vitamin D deficiency, finding that Vitamin D may play an important role in preventing respiratory infections. Lead author Adit Ginde MD, MPH, notes that those with compromised lung function, such as those with asthma, may be particularly at risk of lung infections if they are deficient in Vitamin D.
Another study of 3,000 people suffering from type 1 diabetes found that those who had a diet supplemented with Vitamin D had less severe symptoms. It is thought that Vitamin D may also be beneficial for type 2 diabetics.
Interestingly, levels of Vitamin D in the blood have been found to have significantly decreased in recent years. An Archives of Internal Medicine report suggests that up to three quarters of the population may be deficient in Vitamin D.
For more information about the importance of Vitamin D and about supplementation and nutrition and their impact on health and wellbeing, contact your chiropractor to arrange an appointment.
