The sunshine vitamin
In the age of office work and diligent sunscreen use to safeguard against skin cancer and premature aging, it’s no wonder we’ve seen a disturbing trend of low vitamin D levels in the American population. After all, our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight. But it’s not just in America that we see this. A 2023 systematic review reveals that vitamin D deficiency has remained prevalent globally from 2000 to 2022, with people living in high-latitude areas, patients with chronic illnesses, and females being more susceptible.
The reason this is so concerning is because vitamin D is essential for many of our bodily processes. Without it, we can develop soft, brittle bones. The sunshine vitamin is required for proper muscle and nerve function as well. Another crucial role of vitamin D is its potent effect on our immune systems.
Luckily, an easy solution to this issue is supplementation! Though vitamin D supplements are available in two forms, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3, most doctors recommend D3. It’s the form our bodies naturally produce, and our bodies more effectively use it.
Vitamin D and your immune system
You may wonder what makes vitamin D essential for proper immune function. Well, vitamin D regulates the cells of your immune system. In fact, scientists discovered the vitamin D receptor on almost all cells of the immune system! As a result, it’s vital in regulating both the innate immune system, our body’s first line of defense against pathogens, and the adaptive immune system, which allows our bodies to identify and target a specific pathogen.
Protecting you from autoimmunity
Vitamin D has been proven to make your immune system more tolerant so that it doesn’t react unnecessarily and cause unneeded inflammation. This means it helps prevent autoimmune diseases, in which the body attacks its own healthy cells. For example, type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and lupus are all examples of the many autoimmune diseases that people can suffer from. The worldwide incidence of chronic autoimmune diseases is increasing steadily, with increasing vitamin D insufficiency suspected to be a likely contributing factor.
Globally, diabetes is one of the fastest-growing chronic illnesses. Because the initiation of the process that leads to type 1 diabetes occurs early in life, evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation in early childhood may protect against the development of type 1 diabetes. It’s thought this is due to vitamin D’s role in improving the body’s regulation of glucose.
Insufficiency of the sunshine vitamin also has a solid link to MS, an autoimmune disease suffered by an estimated 2.5 million people worldwide. Studies show that high blood levels of vitamin D are linked to a lower risk of MS. Amazingly, even for patients already diagnosed with MS, vitamin D3 as an add-on treatment was shown to reduce disease activity, as shown in MRI scans.
The importance of vitamin D in early life
Since the necessity of vitamin D for preventing rickets in children is already well recognized, let’s discuss the implications on their little immune systems. In the short term, vitamin D supplementation can reduce the rates of infections in children. In the long term, supplementation during pregnancy and early life can prevent autoimmune disorders and decrease the chances of childhood asthma and allergic conditions. For diseases like type 1 diabetes that begin their disease process early in life, we know that early intervention is especially critical. A study showed a 33% reduction in type 1 diabetes risk for children who received vitamin D supplementation in their first year of life.
As such an easy way to significantly decrease the chances of such life-altering disorders, vitamin D supplementation seems like a no-brainer!
Implementing vitamin D3 into your life
A multivitamin that includes vitamin D3—the form most effectively used by and naturally produced by our bodies—is a fantastic way to ensure your body gets what it needs! The recommended daily intake of vitamin D3 for people below 70 is 600 IU or 15 mcg. For people above 70 who have a higher risk of bone issues and other diseases, the recommended daily intake increases to 800 IU or 20 mcg.
As with any wellness tip, do further research and consult your healthcare provider for proper dosing recommendations before implementing these into your life.
