When I wrote an article recently about the benefits of the essential mineral Zinc, I got to thinking: there are dozens of over-looked vitamins and minerals that readers probably don’t know have dozens of benefits. And when I looked at the statistics on Vitamin D Deficiency, I actually got a little worried.
Perhaps, I realized, I needed to cover some ground on nutrients, like Vitamin D, that can boost our health outcomes in ways people haven’t even imagined. So I put together this quick fact sheet, armed with some of the best science out there.
What You Need to Know
Main Benefits of Vitamin D
While any dietician or physician will tell you that Vitamin D is essential, and that’s true, that doesn’t mean there aren’t benefits to supplementing with Vitamin D, outside of the basic necessities of life. Here are some of the health outcomes medical science has the most evidence on for Vitamin D.
Cognitive Function
In science and medicine, many times it’s helpful to run experiments and studies forward and backward. That is to say, if we observe that a deficiency in one thing leads to decline, does it also mean that supplementing leads to a boost?
It turns out with Vitamin D and cognitive function the answer is yes. I’ve found literally dozens of papers showing that a lack of Vitamin D leads to memory loss, verbal skills decline, and a drop in nearly every metric of cognition. But we also now have long-term studies proving that supplementation with Vitamin D improves cognitive function. Results were so promising that some authors have called for a public health program promoting Vitamin D supplementation.
Testosterone
As we’ve already published a full article on Vitamin D and testosterone, I’ll only summarize, here. Bottom line: Vitamin D can increase a man’s testosterone production by 30%. Full stop. No wonder it’s in all five of the editor’s picks for T-Boosters.
Anti-Cancer Properties
All cancer is scary. But some words are more scary than others, and one of them is lymphoma. Well, there’s good news. It turns out that specific receptors called VDRs (see below) can help our bodies keep from producing lymph-cell tumors. The process is a complex one, and it’s not a full-on cure. But the research is promising.
Improved Immune Function
Without getting into a full biology lecture, we should point out that the Immune System is a complex one, with multiple cells that carry out their functions like independent contractors. Killer T-Cells, for instance, roam through our blood system detecting infected cells and actively terminating them. It turns out, though, that all Immune cells–in the blood, in our bone marrow, everywhere–have one important feature in common: they all have an active Vitamin D receptor (VDR).
Cell receptors are like locks, and for a given cell to function properly, all their locks must be filled. For Immune cells, that means having more Vitamin D available means having greater flexibility and speed of response. This can improve our responses to inflammation and infection, and even help us resist the development of AutoImmune Diseases.
Preventative Care
Without getting into the hows and whys, the simple fact is that the healthcare systems in the US and UK have one stark difference: the US doesn’t focus enough on preventative care. Essentially, the model is to wait for sickness to occur and treat it afterward.
But you can take that power back by taking your health and wellness into your own hands. In fact, that’s one of my greatest inspirations for this website.
One of the best ways to put yourself in the driver’s seat is to make sure you’re getting adequate levels of all your essential vitamins and minerals, and no better place to start than with Vitamin D. I’ve a separate article on what Vitamin D deficiency looks like, but it’s worth mentioning here. And that’s because by taking a Vitamin D supplement, you can prevent these afflictions from striking you.
Here’s a list, in brief, of the issues Vitamin D supplements can help you and your loved ones avoid:
And remember, some of these preventative measures could literally save your life later on, such as keeping your bones strong enough to resist breaking during a fall. A small supplement once a day is a small price to pay for that kind of peace of mind.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin D is not readily available in diets, especially for those trying to limit animal foods or those high in fat. But the benefits of Vitamin D can’t be ignored. So if you find yourself not getting enough sunlight throughout the week, or you don’t particularly care for sardines, take a look at some other options. It will undeniably be worth your time.