There’s so many incredible benefits that come from Vitamin D, the sunshine molecule, that we simply had to put together a list of all the amazing discoveries that have been made in recent years. Vitamin D is very important for wellness, especially during the winter months when the sun’s rays are too weak, which is when taking it in supplement form is important. Here’s our massive list of Vitamin D health benefits along with links to the articles elaborating on them:
Vitamin D Blocks Formation of Breast Cancer
Women with a higher vitamin D intake may be a quarter less likely to die from breast cancer than women with lower levels, scientists have found. –Source
Vitamin D Found in Fish Boosts Brain Power
University of Manchester scientists in collaboration with colleagues from other European centres have shown that higher levels of vitamin D – primarily synthesised in the skin following sun exposure but also found in certain foods such as oily fish – are associated with improved cognitive function in middle-aged and older men. –Source
Vitamin D Crucial to Activating Immune Defenses
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system – T cells – will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body. –Source
Vitamin D Improves Insulin Sensitivity, Helps Prevent Diabetes
High-dose vitamin D supplements may help increase the body’s sensitivity to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin, thus reducing the risk of diabetes, researchers have found. –Source
Vitamin D Reduces Risk of Bowel Cancer by 40%
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that high levels of vitamin D help to lower the risk of developing bowel cancer. The study, which was the largest of its kind, evaluated nearly 2,500 people with and without bowel cancer to see how vitamin D plays a role in preventing the disease. –Source
Vitamin D Better Than Vaccines at Preventing Flu
The risk of children suffering from flu can be halved if they take vitamin D, doctors in Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight, has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than anti-viral drugs or vaccine. –Source
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Bone Fractures
Among people with hip fractures referred to the Scottish fracture liaison service, 98 percent test positive for serious deficiencies in vitamin D. Supplementation with the vitamin, on the other hand, significantly reduces the risk of repeat fractures. –Source
Vitamin D Found to Influence Over 200 Genes, Highlighting Links to Disease from Deficiency
Scientists have mapped the points at which vitamin D interacts with our DNA – and identified over two hundred genes that it directly influences. –Source
Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Schizophrenia
Babies born with low vitamin D levels are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia later in life, researchers from the Queensland Brain Institute have found. –Source
Vitamin D Deficiency Linked to Lung Transplant Rejection
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a significant increase in lung transplant rejection, according to research conducted at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). –Source
Low Vitamin D levels Linked to Parkinson’s Disease
Low levels of vitamin D in the blood may increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Researchers took blood samples from 3,000 people between 1978 and 1980, then followed them for 30 years. They found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease in that time than people with the highest levels. –Source
Lack of Adequate Levels of Vitamin D Makes Children Overweight and Obese
Research by University of Michigan (U-M) scientists just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition revealed that children who were deficient in vitamin D accumulated fat around the waist and gained weight more rapidly than children who got enough vitamin D. –Source
Vitamin D Found to Protect Against Obesity-Induced Cancer
Higher levels of vitamin D appear to protect women against obesity-related cancer of the uterus, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and published in the journal Comprehensive Cancer Research. –Source
Newborns with Low Vitamin D Levels at Increased Risk for Respiratory Infections
The vitamin D levels of newborn babies appear to predict their risk of respiratory infections during infancy and the occurrence of wheezing during early childhood, but not the risk of developing asthma. Results of a study in the January 2011 issue of Pediatrics support the theory that widespread vitamin D deficiency contributes to risk of infections. –Source
Vitamin D Deficiency Alters Lung Growth, Harms Lung Function
The results of a new study clearly demonstrate that vitamin D deficiency alters lung growth, resulting in lower lung volume and decrements in lung function. –Source
Vitamin D Can Help Prevent Multiple Sclerosis
Results from a new study showed that people with the most evidence of skin damage from sun exposure were 60 percent less likely to develop the first symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis than the people with the least damage. In addition, those with the highest levels of vitamin D also were less likely to have a diagnosed first MS event than people with the lowest levels. –Source
Low Vitamin D Levels Linked to Allergies in Children
A study of more than 3,000 children shows that low vitamin D levels are associated with increased likelihood that children will develop allergies. –Source
High Vitamin D Intake Will Reduce Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Diabetes Risk by Half
A new study involved a survey of several thousand volunteers who took supplements containing 1000 to 10,000 IU per day. The researchers ran blood tests to measure the level of 25-vitamin D, which is the form of almost all vitamin D circulating in the bloodstream. It was found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000 to 8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases — breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes. –Source
Vitamin D Can Reduce Damage from Radioactivity
New Vitamin D research shows that Vitamin D3 (calcitriol) may offer protection against cellular damage caused by radiation. Dr. Mercola looks at the latest Vitamin D research and present alternative health practice to protect your body from radiation and radioactive toxins, such as chlorella, spirulina, sweet whey, and potassium iodide. –Source
Vitamin D Deficiency Causes Mental Disorders in Children
A new study shows that children with psychosis and other severe mental health disorders also have twice as much vitamin D deficiency as children who are mentally healthy. –Source
New Evidence Shows Vitamin D Shuts Down Cancer Cells
Researchers at McGill University have discovered a molecular basis for the cancer preventive effects of vitamin D, whereby its active form essentially shuts down cancer cells. –Source
