24/11/2022
Understanding Vitamin D (FERN-D "Cholecalciferol" Vitamin D3 1000iu)
Vitamin D is much more than a vitamin! It is also a hormone, meaning that it helps facilitate many hormone reactions within the body.
As for its vitamin functions, vitamin D plays a significant role in:
- Bacterial balance
- Blood sugar maintenance
- Bone health
- Brain health and function
- Cellular healing
- Detoxification
- Diabetes
- Digestion
- Flight infections
- Gut health
- Heart health
- Auto-Immunity
- Lowering cancer risk
- Metabolism
- Mood balance
- Obesity
Having your vitamin D level tested (a simple blood test) is a good idea to avoid deficiency.
Vitamin D Deficiency โ Genetic and Lifestyle Factors:
Some genetic/lifestyle factors may increase your risk of vitamin D deficiency.
1. People who are overweight - Being overweight, obese (or elderly) may lead to a less active lifestyle; and therefore, less inclination to go outdoors and experience sunshine.
2. People over 50 - The ability of your skin to make vitamin D decreases as you get older.
3. Achy bones - A vitamin D deficiency may cause a defect in putting calcium into the collagen matrix of your bones
4. Feeling blue - Serotonin, the brain hormone associated with an elevated mood, increases with exposure to bright light and falls with decreased sun exposure. Research has shown that Vitamin D levels are related to mental health and depression.
5. Head sweating - One of the classic signs of vitamin D deficiency is a sweaty head
6. Gut trouble - Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin โ your gut health affects your ability to absorb fat, as well as fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D. Gut conditions like Crohnโs, celiac and non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease can lead to vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D and Autoimmunity:
Now, research has confirmed that as a hormone vitamin D binds DNA directly, thereby regulating the expression of genes involved in inflammation and other processes of immunity.
Individuals suffering from a deficiency of vitamin D may experience:
- Weakened immunity (get sick or infected easily)
- Issues with bacterial overgrowth, as seen with Candida
- Mood disorders like depression
- Fatigue
- Hormonal imbalance
- Difficulty gaining muscle or losing weight
- Decreased bone mass
- Back or muscle pain
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
Studies have also linked vitamin D deficiency with some specific autoimmune conditions, including insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Based on this research it has been suggested that vitamin D can be a significant factor affecting the prevalence of autoimmune diseases.
You can also take a high-quality supplement (Vitamin D3) as a capsule or in spray bottle form. It is recommended that you take between 1000 to 5000 IU once per
