Vitamin D in disease prevention



Based on the results of recent research, vitamin D would be crucial in preventing numerous diseases .

Its role in bone health has long been known but the importance it plays in the prevention of other diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, respiratory diseases, tumors, autoimmune diseases and dementia is increasingly evident.

Furthermore, according to a review entitled An estimate of global reduction in mortality rates through doubling vitamin D levels, published in 2011 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the increase in vitamin D levels would even make us more long-lived by increasing two years life expectancy and reducing the risk of premature death by one fifth.

The benefits of vitamin D and how to avoid their deficiency

Vitamin D, despite its name, is actually primarily a steroid hormone that affects virtually every single cell in our body.

Maintaining optimal levels of vitamin D is therefore fundamental for all organs and systems: from the heart, to the brain, to the immune system.

It can be taken with food or with supplements but it is mainly thanks to the exposure of the skin to the rays of the sun that we can benefit from it; when we expose ourselves to the sun, in fact, vitamin D is produced by our body to be used at the level of various organs and exercise its functions.

Vitamin D in the prevention of diabetes

Recent studies have shown that people with low levels of vitamin D have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes . Furthermore, it has been observed that subjects who have recently been diagnosed with this disease have lower vitamin D levels than those who are not affected.

The relationship between type 2 diabetes and insufficient levels of vitamin D could be due to a malfunction of pancreatic beta cells that, when they do not get enough vitamin D, fail to adequately produce insulin.

The role of vitamin D in the prevention of dementia

The importance of the correct metabolism of insulin is not limited to its role in controlling blood sugar; this hormone, in fact, affects the proper functioning of the brain in which it promotes many functions including the consolidation of cellular connections to form new memories and the absorption of glucose in memory neurons.

The alteration of insulin activity, therefore, can be associated with the onset of dementia and since vitamin D has, as described in the previous paragraph, an important role in the metabolism of insulin, it is evident as an insufficient intake of vitamin D may contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Vitamin D helps you prevent the flu

Vitamin D regulates the expression of genes that influence the ability of the immune system to fight against viruses and bacteria ; it is, therefore, a valid ally against the flu and other diseases typical of the cold seasons.

According to some hypotheses, the reduced production of vitamin D by the body, typical of cold seasons, would be one of the main causes of the increase in flu and parainfluenza diseases characteristic of the less sunny months.

To support this hypothesis there are several recent studies, some of which, among other things, suggest an inversely proportional relationship between vitamin D levels and airway infections, which means that the higher the vitamin D values, the lower is the risk of contracting the flu or other respiratory tract infections.

What other diseases help prevent vitamin D?

Vitamin D is also useful in the prevention of:

  • Cardiovascular diseases . Vitamin D is given an important role in the prevention of hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke. Among other things, it seems that not only the vitamin D deficiency contributes to the increased risk of heart attack but that, in the event that this eventuality occurs, people with low levels of vitamin D have a higher risk of death from a heart attack .
  • Infertility . Some evidence suggests the importance of vitamin D in the production of progesterone and testosterone. Furthermore, too low or too high levels of vitamin D appear to be associated with reduced sperm efficiency. Finally, it is believed that adequate levels of vitamin D promote greater regularity of the menstrual cycle in women with polycystic ovaries.
  • Autoimmune diseases . Vitamin D is a powerful immunoregulator and this is the reason why it is attributed a considerable importance in the prevention of diseases such as multiple sclerosis and other pathologies characterized by an abnormal response of the immune system towards the constituents of their own organism.

Vitamin D, effects of deficiency and excess

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