What Are The Benefits Of Taking Vitamin D3

Calms Your Blood Pressure

According to Machemehl-Helmly, vitamin D3 plays a role in modulating the system that controls blood pressure. However, this isnt set in stone. The Mayo Clinic says that vitamin D deficiencymay be linked to heart disease and an increased risk of high blood pressure . At the same time, more research is needed. Its too early to say whether a lack of vitamin D causes high blood pressure, or whether vitamin D supplements may have any role in the treatment of high blood pressure, the Mayo Clinic notes.

Protect Against Respiratory Infections

Increase your level of vitamin D if youre deficient, and you may find that you get fewer respiratory infections than usual.

One review of 25 randomized controlled trials involving about 11,300 people suggests that participants who were vitamin D deficient saw a 12 percent reduced risk for respiratory infections after taking a vitamin D supplement, though not every study saw a clear benefit from supplementation. Researchers published their findings in February 2017 in BMJ.

The main limitations? Researchers werent sure whether participants had received a flu vaccine or were diagnosed with the respiratory ailment chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , which are two confounding factors that may have skewed the results.

An accompanying editorial cautions readers to take the findings with a grain of salt, and the authors argue against standard year-round vitamin D supplementation and call for additional research.

What You Can Do Now

If youre concerned about vitamin D deficiency, ask your doctor to check your vitamin D level, says Dr. Deal. If the level is low and your provider starts you on supplements, you need repeat testing in eight to 12 weeks to make sure the level is not too high or too low.

If testing shows your vitamin D level is normal, you need repeat testing every two to three years unless you have major changes in your overall health.

Different diseases need different doses of vitamin D. If you have chronic kidney disease or parathyroid disease, ask your kidney specialist or endocrinologist about the type and dose of vitamin D you need.

If youre pregnant or breastfeeding, Dr. Deal recommends you keep taking vitamin D supplements as long as your doctor prescribes them. The supplement is linked to healthy development for you and your baby.

For bone health, be sure to stay active and remember to eat a calcium-rich diet. Consult with your doctor frequently to make sure youre taking the right steps to current bone health.

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How Much Vitamin D3 Should I Take Daily

How much vitamin D3 should I take daily? Thats the short answer it depends on age. But we have discussed below the article more details about the topic. Vitamin D is very important for good health. Also known as a sun vitamin, it is made on your skin when exposed to sunlight. Despite this, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies in the world. Up to 42% of adults in the US have low levels of vitamin D, which can cause health problems. Vitamin D is very important for bone health and immune function. This article discusses the amount of vitamin D you need in your life.

What Are The Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3

The term vitamin D is kind of a misnomer because you will not find anything labeled simply as vitamin D in a pharmacy vitamin aisle. Rather, your choices will be vitamin D2 or vitamin D3 . Generally, when one mentions vitamin D, the implied selection is vitamin D2. For the purpose of this article, when vitamin D is mentioned, it will refer to vitamin D2. The names can be confusing, because many times, patients go into the pharmacy looking for vitamin D and are surprised that there is a D2 and a D3.

Vitamin D comes from plant sources, such as wild mushrooms, as well as fortified foods, such as milk or cereal products. Its strength is typically measured in international units, which is abbreviated as IU on labeling. The 50,000 IU capsules are prescription only, while lower strengths are available over-the-counter. Vitamin D is less expensive to produce and therefore is the form most commonly found in fortified food products.

Vitamin D3 mainly comes from animal sources such as fish oil, fatty fish, liver, and egg yolks. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, it produces vitamin D3. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as the sunshine vitamin. Its strength is also measured in international units. All forms of vitamin D3 are available over-the-counter.

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Benefits Of Vitamin D3 On The Body

Vitamin D3 does so much more than give you strong bones and teeth. Here are some evidence-based benefits of vitamin D3 on the body:

• Promotes healthy bones, teeth, and muscles.

• Enhances the bodys immune system.

• Protects the heart by reducing inflammation .

• Regulates sodium concentrations through the renin-angiotensin system, which decreases the risk of hypertension.

• Low vitamin D has been linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, auto-immune diseases, influenza, bacterial vaginosis, and age-related macular degeneration in women.

How Much You Need And How Best To Actually Get It

According to the FDA, the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin D is 600 IU for adults. Those over 70 require more, so the RDA for them is 800 IU. However, it can be hard to meet this dose in winter. Vitamin D3 isnt found in many foods, but some dairy products, cereals, and grains are fortified with vitamin D3 to help people increase their intake, says Craig Elbert, CEO of Care/of in New York City.

Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines as well as eggs and shiitake mushrooms are other dietary sources of vitamin D3, but its important to note that the metabolism of vitamin D3 from our foods may be dependent on adequate iron status, says Texas nutrition expert Pam Machemehl-Helmly, founder and chief science officer of Wellnicity. Test your blood levels for vitamin D and iron to know your status.

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How To Maintain Normal Levels

Vitamin D levels can be increased and maintained by:

• Regularly getting natural sunlight
• Eating foods high in vitamin D
• Supplementing

Most of the vitamin D3 in humans is derived from synthesis in the skin.

Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. Major food sources are fatty fish , cod liver oil, beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, and mushrooms .

Helps You Lose Excess Weight

We cannot do a vitamin d3 benefits guide without mentioning its weight-loss advantages. Womens Health Mag explains that vitamin D helps certain receptors in the brain produce certain chemicals that tell the person when they are full, and also helps to reduce cravings for unhealthy foods. Furthermore, this vitamin also helps the body absorb certain nutrients that are also essential for maintaining a healthy weight.

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What Happens When You Take Your Daily Vitamin D3

When you take a Vitamin D supplement, the vitamin passes from your bloodstream into your liver.

From here, it goes to the kidneys where it turns into calcitriol.

It is then released back into your bloodstream and can now enter your bodys cells where it attaches to Vitamin D receptors.

At this point, it can get to work regulating the minerals calcium and phosphorous. Clever stuff!

How Often Do You Need To Get Your Vitamin D Levels Checked

Doctors do not usually order routine checks of vitamin D levels, but they might need to check your levels if you have certain medical conditions or risk factors for vitamin D deficiency. Sometimes vitamin D levels can be checked as a cause of symptoms such as long-lasting body aches, a history of falls or bone fractures without significant trauma.

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Benefit : Improved Muscle Function

Short-changing yourself when it comes to vitamin D supplementation could be interfering with your strength gains. Research published in the Iranian Journal of Public Health in 2010 reported that over 70 percent of men ages 20-29 had some level of vitamin D deficiency.

Short-changing yourself when it comes to vitamin D supplementation could be interfering with your strength gains.

Additionally, vitamin D deficiency is relatively common in athletes and is associated with muscle weakness and atrophy, specifically Type 2 muscle fiber atrophy. Skipping out on this vitamin is just as bad as skipping out on leg day.

What Are The Benefits Of Liquid Vitamin D

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Vitamin D has several different varieties vitamin D-3 is the type made naturally by human skin when its exposed to the sun. Vitamin D-3 can be found in egg yolks, fish, beef, dairy and some fortified foods. It is also found in supplement form, and it is used for a variety of health promoting purposes. Although you can buy vitamin D-3 supplements in tablet, capsule and liquid form, the liquid has some advantages over the pill.

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Top 5 Benefits Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an often-overlooked, under-consumed nutrient that plays a major role in your overall health and performance in the gym. Learn how to make sure you’re getting enough so you can be on top of your game!

You probably know it as the “sunshine vitamin,” or the vitamin that helps maintain strong bones, but there’s a lot more to Vitamin D than meets the eye. It serves a variety of functions in the body, including maintaining optimal bone and muscle health, as well as having favorable effects on inflammation. Unfortunately, most of us don’t get enough vitamin D on a daily basis, with a reported one billion people worldwide having a deficiency.

While your training regimen and supplement stack may be on point, missing out on this oh-so-important nutrient can wreak havoc on overall health, as well as reduce performance in the gym. So it’s about time we give this nutrient the attention it deserves. Pour yourself a glass of milk and read up on the latest findings on how vitamin D can optimize your health.

The Basics Of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a unique type of vitamin because it actually acts more like a steroid hormone than a dietary aid and is not readily available in most foods like other vitamins often are because of this, its estimated that nearly 75 percent of people have some kind of deficiency.

Rather, vitamin D is sourced primarily from the sun, which is why its often referred to as the sunshine vitamin. When the skin absorbs sunlight, it synthesizes the UVB rays into vitamin D.

Though you should always limit long exposure to the sun, getting adequate amounts of rays is the first step in ensuring your body has good stores, which is important since vitamin D has a tremendous effect on mood and, over time, can help to ease symptoms of depression. Its also a type of fat-soluble vitamin that plays a major role in the way the body absorbs other nutrients.

But not everywhere in the world is as sunny as California or Florida, which limits access, and because the synthesization process varies from person to person, not everyone has the same capability to intake the proper amounts needed for optimal well-being. This is where supplements come into play.

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Is Vitamin D3 Better Than Vitamin D2

Studies show that Vitamin D3 is far more important for our health than Vitamin D2. So either choose a Vitamin D3 supplement, or one which contains optimal levels of both forms. Vitamin D2 on its own is not enough.

Experts used to think that vitamins D2 and D3 were of equal importance for human health. But this was based on outdated studies of rickets in children. These days, we know lots more about Vitamin D. And it is clear that D3 is far more important and more effective for our health and wellbeing.

We need to look at how the body absorbs Vitamin D to understand why Vitamin D3 is more important. There are lots of biological processes involved. A specific enzyme in the liver helps Vitamin D3 metabolise into the bioactive form of Vitamin D. This process takes much longer with Vitamin D2.

Help Prevent Cognitive Decline And Dementia

Foroutan points out that there are vitamin D receptors in brain tissue, which suggests that the vitamin may play a role in cognitive function and, potentially, the risk of dementia. Research may support this notion, with one article suggesting that vitamin D may help clear up amyloid plaque, the hallmark of Alzheimers disease . The authors note that more research is needed to confirm a cause-and-effect relationship between an adequate level of vitamin D and the neurodegenerative disorder.

Meanwhile, a large review published in July 2018 in Nutritional Neuroscience found insufficient evidence that vitamin D supplements protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Researchers wrote that they also couldnt confirm that vitamin D synthesized from sun exposure helps to protect against neurodegenerative diseases.

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Vitamin C Supplements Dosage And Side Effects

Vitamin C can be taken in a variety of different forms such as

• Tablets
• Powder
• Capsules

The daily suggested dose to elicit the discussed health benefits is between 500-2000mg. Your body does however have an upper limit when it comes to absorption. Studies have shown that absorption decreases by 50% when taken in excess of 1,000mg. Adverse effects are possible with mega doses greater than 3,000mg including kidney stones, diarrhea, and will produce excess levels of iron in the blood. Absorption does not differ when obtained from foods or supplements. Therefore, a daily dose of 500mg is suggested for optimal absorption and strengthening immunity.

The Takeaway On Vitamin D And Your Health

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient that can help fortify bones and keep them strong while also potentially lowering the risk of cancer and death from cancer for some individuals. But its other effects needs to be further investigated before scientists, doctors, and everyone else can make informed decisions about supplementing or upping dietary intake of the vitamin.

Until then, take steps to get your recommended daily amount of the nutrient through food, supplements, and sunlight . If you suspect that you have a vitamin D deficiency, talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to check if your level is adequate.

Additional reporting by Melinda Carstensen.

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The Power Of Consistency

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A Stronger Immune System

The human bodys immune system plays an important part in its ability to fight off viruses and disease-causing bacteria, as well as infections. When the immune system is weak, a person is more likely to become sick and develop the disease. A stronger immune system, however, helps to prevent the frequent occurrence of illness. A review paper published by the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research explains that the cells of the immune system contains vitamin D receptors. The particular cells that contain these receptors include antigen-presenting cells, T cells, and B cells. This means that vitamin D is able to assist with the action of the immune system and, according to the review paper, may also help to reduce the risk of obtaining an infection.

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Calcium And Vitamin D: A Partnership

Calcium and vitamin D is the dynamic duo that works together to strengthen and protect your bones. For years, healthcare providers have recommended that postmenopausal women take calcium and vitamin D supplements to prevent osteoporosis, a bone-thinning disease that is a major cause of devastating fractures in old age.

Research linking calcium supplements to heart attack and stroke caused many to take vitamin D supplements alone for prevention.

Calcium supplements can increase calcification in the arteries and predispose people, especially women, to heart disease, he says. Thats why we always prefer dietary calcium. However, some people get adequate dietary calcium but are low in vitamin D.

Should I Take Vitamin D Or D3

Vitamin D and vitamin D3 are each effective vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D2 is approved in the treatment of hypoparathyroidism, vitamin D resistant rickets, and hypophosphatemia. Both supplements are commonly used for vitamin D supplementation.

Studies have shown that vitamin D3 supplements may be superior in raising the bodys vitamin D stores. There are many health benefits to vitamin D supplementation, but your doctor should use lab tests to recommend the amount of vitamin D you should take and which form.

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How To Use Vitamin D3

Take vitamin D by mouth as directed. Vitamin D is best absorbed when taken after a meal but may be taken with or without food. Alfacalcidol is usually taken with food. Follow all directions on the product package. If you have any questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

If your doctor has prescribed this medication, take as directed by your doctor. Your dosage is based on your medical condition, amount of sun exposure, diet, age, and response to treatment.

If you are using the liquid form of this medication, carefully measure the dose using a special measuring device/spoon. Do not use a household spoon because you may not get the correct dose.

If you are taking the chewable tablet or wafers, chew the medication thoroughly before swallowing. Do not swallow whole wafers.

If you are taking the rapidly-dissolving tablets, dry your hands before handling the medication. Place each dose on the tongue, allow it to dissolve completely, and then swallow it with saliva or water. You do not need to take this medication with water.

Certain medications can decrease the absorption of vitamin D. Take your doses of these medications as far as possible from your doses of vitamin D . It may be easiest to take vitamin D at bedtime if you are also taking these other medications. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should wait between doses and for help finding a dosing schedule that will work with all your medications.