The body produces vitamin D naturally upon exposure to the sun hence named “the sunshine vitamin.” You can also get more of the vitamin through the consumption of certain foods or even by taking supplements. Either way, having enough vitamin D in your body means you’ll have strong teeth and bones.
Vitamin D is also vital in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D also helps facilitate normal immune system function improving resistance to certain diseases.
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient involved in the protection of our body. It provides us with a natural source of defense against viruses and the production of hormones necessary to our bodies.
Since the pandemic’s start, we also discovered that blood vitamin D status could determine the risk of being infected with COVID-19, the seriousness of COVID-19, and mortality from COVID-19 (1).
The Sunshine Vitamin and Cardiovascular Diseases
You may not yet know the effect of Vitamin D on cardiovascular disease. A new study published in the “European Heart Journal” shows that people with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to ail from heart disease and higher blood pressure than those with normal vitamin D levels (2). Besides vitamin D’s protection against CVD, it also prevents type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Globally, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives per year (3). Around 18.2 million adult people live with heart and circulatory diseases in the U.S. About 659,000 people in the United States die from heart disease each year: one person every 36 seconds (4).
According to a 2020 worldwide statistic on the status of vitamin D deficiency, about 5.9% of the U.S. population has critical vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L), while another 24% have insufficient levels (<50 nmol/L) (5). The lower the vitamin D levels, the more prone the population is to the risk of CVDs.
The Australian study suggests that if we can raise vitamin D levels within average values, we should also affect rates of CVD. In the studied population, by increasing vitamin D-deficient individuals to levels of at least 50 nmol/L, they estimated that 4.4% of all CVD cases could have been prevented (2).
Everyone should at least strive to get a few minutes of sunlight as regularly as possible and even eat foods rich in vitamin D. Those that can’t access these foods or enough sunlight in their area should incorporate vitamin D supplements into their routine. They will not only help boost your immunity levels, but they will also help reduce your risk of getting CVD. The possibility of using Vitamin D to reduce the number of CVD cases demonstrates that it is essential to maintain an optimal level of this vital nutrient if you want to keep up with your health and live a healthy life.
Causes of vitamin D deficiency
Our Vitamin D testing can help you monitor your levels.
Vitamin D deficiency is a health problem affecting most people around the globe. Currently, it’s affecting around 1 billion people worldwide. The first time researchers discovered vitamin D to be essential was in rickets. The health consequences of having a vitamin D deficiency go beyond having rickets. Below are some vitamin D deficiency causes:
- Sedentary lifestyle: These days, we spend most of our hours indoors because of work, and when not working, one could be winding down by watching tv or doing something else indoors. This lifestyle prevents one from getting natural vitamin D directly from the sun.
- Insufficient vitamin D in the diet: When you’re already not getting enough sunlight, you must have vitamin D in your meals. But lack of enough vitamin D-rich foods will also result in a deficiency. For those who live in places where they can go for weeks or even months without the sun, consuming foods rich in vitamin D or even using supplements is necessary. Foods rich in vitamin D include red meat, oily fish, liver, egg yolks, and fortified foods (like breakfast cereals or fat spread).
- Gastrointestinal (G.I.) disease: When you have G.I. problems or any other bowel diseases, your tract will have a hard time absorbing dietary fat, causing you to be at a greater risk for vitamin D deficiency.
- Renal disease: When one has chronic kidney disease, the kidneys have difficulty converting vitamin D into its active form since they’re injured. That’s why most people with renal disease tend to have severely low vitamin D levels.
- Liver disease: Most people suffering from liver problems tend to have low vitamin D levels in their bodies. It is especially easy to note that people suffering from liver cirrhosis have extremely low vitamin D levels in their systems.
Conclusion
Here at Allergy Test, we provide you with a home test kit that you could use comfortably at home to check your blood’s amount of Vitamin D. Using this simple test kit; you will be able to test if you got a sufficient amount of this essential nutrient and seek medical advice if necessary to boost your immune system, improve your bones and prevent CVDs. All our test kits are designed to help you investigate your health further and find a better version of yourself.
So, what are you waiting for? Order now online and take the first step to a new healthy life.
Read More
If you want to learn more about allergy testing, You can check out Allergy Testing In The US or 13 Common Food Intolerance Symptoms.
References
- Hiwot Yisak, Amien Ewunetei, Belayneh Kefale, Melkalem Mamuye, Fentaw Teshome, Birhanie Ambaw, and Getachew Yideg Yitbarek. “Effects of Vitamin D on COVID-19 Infection and Prognosis: A Systematic Review.” January 7, 2021. (Online) Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7800698/
- Ang Zhou, Joseph B Selvanayagam, Elina Hyppönen. “Non-linear Mendelian randomization analyses support a role for vitamin D deficiency in cardiovascular disease risk.” European Heart Journal. December 5, 2021. (Online) Available: https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab809/6448753?guestAccessKey=d51225dc-68dd-4d60-9035-e63233459983
- “The sunshine vitamin that ‘D’elivers on cardio health.” Science Daily. December 6, 2021. (Online) Available: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/12/211206113025.htm
- “Heart Disease in the United States.” Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Online) Available: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
- Karin Amrein, Mario Scherkl, Magdalena Hoffmann, Stefan Neuwersch-Sommeregger, Markus Köstenberger, Adelina Tmava Berisha, Gennaro Martucci, Stefan Pilz & Oliver Malle.”Vitamin D deficiency 2.0: an update on the current status worldwide.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. January 20, 2020. (Online) Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-020-0558-y?utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=commission_junction&utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100097331&utm_content=deeplink
