Facts about Vitamin-D and its Benefits
Why Your Body Needs Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, which is vital for forming and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Research has also shown that vitamin D acts similarly to a hormone in the body, and may play a role in regulating blood pressure, weight and mood. One recent study even suggests that having adequate levels can protect against early fatalities from conditions like cancer and heart disease.
Sunlight is the best source for Vitamin D
The body can make its own vitamin D, but only when skin is exposed to sunlight. For most people, spending just five to 30 minutes outside twice a week is enough for the body to synthesize healthy levels of vitamin D. The sun needs to shine on bare skin on your face, arms or legs, without sunscreen. (Keep in mind, exposing your skin to UVA and UVB rays for any amount of time can increase your chances of skin damage and melanoma.). But for those people who don’t spend time outdoors, live far from the equator, have dark skin, or use sunscreen every time they go out may not be able to produce the same quantity of vitamin D.
Vitamin D may improve athletic performance
A recent review published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal concluded that people who are deficient in vitamin D may have compromised fitness levels. Studies have found, for example, that athletes could jump higher or sprint faster after they took supplements for several weeks or months.
But more is not always better, the review cautions: If you already have healthy levels of vitamin D, taking a supplement probably won’t have an impact on your strength, speed or athleticism.
Melanin is the substance in skin that makes it dark. It "competes" for UVB with the substance in the skin that kick-starts the body's vitamin D production. As a result, dark-skinned people tend to require more UVB exposure than light-skinned people to generate the same amount of Vitamin-D.
What are the food source of Vitamin D
Vitamin D is found in a limited number of font-weight-bolds, either occurring naturally or added to the product. Only egg yolks and fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna, naturally contain substantial amounts of vitamin D. Cow’s milk, infant formula, and margarine have added vitamin D as required by the Canadian government.