Low Levels of Key Nutrient Linked to Cancer – Are You Getting Enough?

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Known as the "sunlight vitamin," vitamin D goes beyond being merely a summer nutrient.

Vitamin D plays an essential role in maintaining strong bones, enhancing immune function, managing emotional well-being, and minimizing inflammatory responses.

Nevertheless, 40 percent of adults lack sufficient vitamin D, indicating they do not obtain adequate amounts from diet or supplements nor produce enough themselves.

Individuals who remain inside for longer periods and reside in northern regions such as Alaska Areas where sun exposure is limited pose a higher risk, along with individuals who have darker skin, since melanin decreases the skin's capacity to transform sunlight into vitamin D.

As individuals age, their skin and kidneys become less efficient at converting vitamin D compared to younger people, and being overweight causes the nutrient to be stored within fat cells.

To increase your levels, professionals suggest going outdoors without sunscreen during the early morning hours, prior to 10 am, or later than 2 pm to get exposure without enduring excessive ultraviolet radiation .

Salmon, egg yolk, mushrooms, and nutrient-enriched products such as milk are also naturally high in vitamin D, alongside dietary supplements.

Here, https://positivibemind.com outlines the harmful effects that vitamin D deficiency can lead to.

Cancer

A lack of vitamin D has been associated with a higher likelihood of developing colon, prostate, and breast cancers, conditions that have seen a significant rise in the United States. particularly in young people .

It is believed that Vitamin D plays a role in controlling cell development, and when this process becomes unregulated, cells may be more prone to transform into cancerous ones. Additionally, the vitamin suppresses the proliferation of cancer cells and encourages the elimination of damaging cells.

A study conducted by the National Cancer Institute involving 4,000 individuals with prostate, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancers revealed that those taking high levels of vitamin D experienced a 17% reduced chance of dying from cancer compared to those consuming the smallest daily amounts.

Moreover, some informal studies have indicated that individuals residing in southern regions, which experience higher amounts of sun exposure, had a lower risk of developing or dying from specific types of cancer compared to those in northern areas.

Nevertheless, this is a correlation instead of a direct reason.

Osteoporosis and bone fractures

Insufficient levels of vitamin D have also been linked to osteoporosis, a condition affecting 10 million Americans aged 50 and older.

This condition causes bones to become weaker, increasing their likelihood of breaking, even during normal daily tasks.

Vitamin D aids the body in absorbing calcium, a mineral found in milk products and green vegetables, which helps strengthen bones. It also promotes the production of muscle proteins, reducing the likelihood of falls.

Vitamin D is essential for elderly individuals because it helps decelerate the decline in muscle mass associated with aging.

Children suffering from a significant deficiency in vitamin D may contract a condition known as rickets, characterized by weakened bones that lead to discomfort, structural abnormalities, and stunted development.

Diabetes

Lack of vitamin D can increase your chances of getting type 2 diabetes, a condition where the pancreas produces excessive insulin.

The body is unable to cope with this situation and remove extra glucose (blood sugar) from the blood.

Approximately 12 percent of American adults have experienced Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, and almost one out of every three Americans suffer from prediabetes, which is an early stage of the condition. Many of them aren’t aware they possess it.

It is believed that vitamin D helps decrease inflammation and enhance the body's response to insulin.

A new research discovery indicates that increased levels of vitamin D can decrease insulin resistance, which occurs when the body struggles to utilize the insulin it produces.

Scientists discovered that the likelihood of becoming resistant to insulin decreased as more vitamin D supplements were consumed.

Mood disorders

Vitamin D is involved in the synthesis and secretion of dopamine and serotonin inside the body.

Dopamine affects sensations of enjoyment and drive, whereas serotonin controls emotions, rest, and gastrointestinal function.

Reduced amounts of these brain chemicals have been linked to manifestations of depression, stress, and various typical emotional conditions.

Vitamin D, especially obtained through exposure to sunlight on a bright day, plays a role in controlling the activity of genes responsible for producing and generating serotonin and dopamine, thereby increasing their concentrations.

Autoimmune diseases

A key function of vitamin D in regulating immunity is its ability to both activate and dampen the body’s defense mechanisms against illnesses.

Insufficient levels of vitamin D can lead to higher chances of inflammation and autoimmunity, wherein the immune system targets the body's own cells.

A lack of vitamin D has been linked to various autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), mixed connective tissue disorder, autoimmune thyroid disorders, scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

A research project conducted at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation involved 32 blood serum samples collected from women diagnosed with SLE, a condition where the immune system targets the body's own organs and tissues.

They subsequently examined their Vitamin D levels against those of control participants, discovering that vitamin insufficiency occurred much more often in individuals diagnosed with SLE.

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