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8 Common Diseases Caused from a Lack of Vitamin D
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In today’s modern world is it any wonder that many people suffer from a vitamin D deficiency? We use computers inside our homes, watch TV, play our video games, get into cars that are parked in a garage to drive to work and spend the day inside a building. We spend almost no time in the sun, our main source of vitamin D. In the past, doctors thought vitamin D was only good for keeping your teeth and bones healthy but more recent advances have shown that vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins your body needs.
Unfortunately, many people think that a good diet is good enough. However, there are not too many foods that contain sufficient levels of vitamin D. It would be almost impossible to eat your way to optimum vitamin D levels. Almost everyone will need to get their daily vitamin D from either supplements or from natural sunlight.
Some of today’s most common and devastating illnesses can possibly be reversed by correcting the vitamin D deficiency. Here is a list of 8 common health problems that have been linked with a deficiency of vitamin D.
1. The Flu
It’s well known that the flu strikes hardest during the winter season when the sun is at its lowest level and most people stay inside, out of the cold. Research shows that vitamin D can help improve your immune system. In short, Vitamin D can help you fight the flu!
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2. Asthma
The underlying cause of asthma is still under debate but recent studies have pointed to a lack of vitamin D.
Sufficient levels in vitamin D has been shown to reduce the severity of asthma symptoms, especially in children. Vitamin D may help stop the inflammation that blocks airways.
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3. Dental Cavities
Since the mid 1800’s it’s been considered that a lack of sunlight is a major contributor to poor health.
More recently, researchers have been able to pinpoint the reasons for poor oral health to a lack of vitamin D. For proper calcification of the teeth, you need proper levels of vitamin D. A deficiency in this vitamin leads to higher levels of cavities in the teeth.
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4. High Blood Pressure
A recent study that was made public in the Journal of Investigative Medicine found that people with high blood pressure did much better when they received optimum vitamin D levels.
Higher levels of vitamin D in the blood were found to help curb vascular inflammation along with other signs of hypertension.
SEE ALSO: 6 Ways To Control Your Blood Pressure Infographic
5. Type 2 Diabetes
In a study done in 2011, a deficiency of vitamin D was found to aggravate the symptoms of metabolic syndrome in AIDS patients.
Although the researchers weren’t looking for this, they also discovered that sustaining high levels of vitamin D can help reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
6. Rheumatoid Arthritis
Anyone who is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, you would be wise to have your doctor check your vitamin D levels.
Canada recently completed a study that showed a very strong link between a deficiency of vitamin D and rheumatoid arthritis. Those tested with the lowest blood plasma levels were discovered to be up to 5 times more vulnerable to rheumatoid arthritis related diseases than those with sufficient vitamin D levels.
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7. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
There have been a number of studies done in the United States, Europe, and India that have found a link between low levels of vitamin D and higher than average rates of IBD including ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease.
It’s important to note that people who live in areas where there is limited sunlight tend to have higher rates of inflammatory bowel disease and those who live in areas where natural sunlight is plentiful, have much lower rates of IBD.
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8. Cancer
Those people with a vitamin D deficiency tend to develop more cancer than those who have optimum levels of this vitamin in their bodies.
It doesn’t matter if we are talking about ovarian, breast, pancreatic, colorectal, or prostate cancer, all types of cancer are more prevalent in those who lack vitamin D.
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