Vitamin D's Many Health Benefits

Vitamin D is a nutrient that has long been associated with both calcium and maintaining healthy bones. While it is true that vitamin D is required to metabolize calcium and for good bone health, vitamin D plays a number of other crucial roles in the healthy functioning of your body.

Your skin is the primary way that the body produces vitamin D. During spring and summer you can generally make sufficient quantities of vitamin D simply by exposing your arms and face to the sun for about 15 minutes a day. Your body can produce up to 10,000 units just through adequate sun exposure. Vitamin D can then be stored in your fat for the long-term.

Vitamin D helps the body to absorb and control calcium and phosphorous. If your intake of calcium is too low, calcitriol in conjunction with a parathyroid hormone can draw calcium stores from bone. This can then result in bone loss. It is vital for women to build good bone density and to take steps to prevent bone loss. It is particularly vital for women who are perimenopausal and post menopausal to supplement their diets with vitamin D and with about 1500 mg of calcium every day. Maintaining good bone health is also necessary for men since men can also get osteoporosis when they get older as well.

One study has found that vitamin D may prevent falling and reduce the chance of getting a hip fracture. This may happen because vitamin D may be important in building muscle strength, as well as the density of bones. The standard dosage of vitamin D of 400 units doesn't seem to be sufficient to accomplish this and an amount of 800-1000 units may be required for this purpose. It appears likely that calcium, combined with vitamin D, is required for preventing falls.

Those who are dark skinned may not be able to produce enough vitamin D, even at lower latitudes. If you above the age of 60 your skin and/or kidneys may be less efficient at producing vitamin D compared to when you were younger. Additionally, vitamin D receptors may reduce as we age. Obesity can reduce the ability to produce enough vitamin D through sunlight. In the obese, the vitamin D they produce can be held in fat stores and not be available to the body in sufficient quantities. If you take prednisone, you also may need to take additional vitamin D. If you are a person in one of these categories, you may need to take a vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin D May Help Prevent Type-1 Diabetes

There is currently a theory that type 1 diabetes in children and teenagers is an autoimmune response. Supplementation with vitamin D may act to inhibit an autoimmune response of beta cells in the pancreas that can ultimately result in diabetes.

Multiple Sclerosis and Vitamin D

It has been found that multiple sclerosis (MS) has an elevated incidence in people who live in northern latitudes. There is some evidence which suggests that vitamin D in elevated amounts may act to inhibit the autoimmune reactions that result in MS. In those that already suffer from MS, taking sufficient vitamin D is integral to decreasing or minimizing flare-ups of the disease. The exact amount required isn't known and it is vital to have blood levels tested.

Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

Having too low a level of vitamin D could put women at a higher risk for cancers of the breast and colon, and men at an elevated risk for cancers of the colon and prostate. There is some evidence suggesting that sufficient quantities of vitamin D may inhibit the growth of these cancers.

Vitamin D and Mood

Insufficient levels of vitamin D may be a contributing factor to depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or simply a bad mood. The low energy and mood of seasonal affective disorder could be an effect of both low levels of light and inadequate levels of vitamin D. It is particularly vital to take a vitamin D supplement during the winter, in addition to getting more exercise and as much sunlight exposure as possible.

Taking Calcium Supplements

Calcium is only one of the many components that are required for maintaining healthy bones. Vitamins C, D, and K, as well as boron, potassium, and magnesium are also required. Additionally, it is important to ensure that you are getting a sufficient amount of protein.  Finally, getting some resistance-based exercise is also important for long-term bone health.

However, many people may need to add supplementation to their diet to ensure they are getting sufficient quantities of calcium for maintaining good bone health and for preventing osteoporosis. Taking a calcium supplement might help someone reach their daily recommended requirement for this important mineral, but healthy food sources of calcium supply many of the other nutrients which are required for healthy bones and for blood pressure regulation — two of the primary functions of calcium.

Calcium supplements usually contain calcium as a component of a compound - calcium carbonate and calcium citrate are the two most common varieties. Oyster shell is a type of calcium carbonate that has been found to occasionally contain small measures of lead, which is a known toxin. Taking calcium supplements from sources other than oyster shell, dolomite, and bone meal are generally considered safer.

The type of calcium someone takes will often depend on their particular requirements. As long as one intakes enough elemental calcium to meet their daily requirements, the particular type generally isn't that important. Read the label of any calcium supplement to find out how much elemental calcium is contained in each tablet. If the packaging doesn't list the amount of elemental calcium, you can generally assume it to be 40% for calcium carbonate, 21% for calcium citrate, 13% for calcium lactate, and 9%for calcium gluconate.

For example, if you take 1,000 mg of calcium carbonate, you are getting 40% of that as elemental calcium, or 400 mg. Many antacids tablets are simply calcium carbonate. Taking these provides an easy and cheap way for someone to meet their daily calcium requirements.

Calcium, of all types, is more easily absorbed when ingested in smaller doses.  Generally, take no more than 500 mg of elemental calcium from a supplement at once. If you think that you need to take more calcium, split the amount into 2 or 3 equally-sized portions, and take them about 4-5 hours apart through the day.

Calcium carbonate should always be taken with food, because the acidity of the stomach is higher when digestion is occurring. The increase in levels of acidity allows for better absorption of the mineral. Calcium citrate, on the other hand, is absorbed more easily than calcium carbonate on an empty stomach, so it should be taken between meals.

One type of calcium will not help prevent osteoporosis better than another.  Essentially, it's simply necessary to ensure that one gets a sufficient amount through their lifetime, in combination with the other required nutrients mentioned earlier. The most crucial time to prevent the development of osteoporosis is during periods of bone formation, throughout childhood and the teenage years. After this period, maintaining the bone mass that has already been built is the key. Because our bones are continuously absorbing and releasing calcium, you should protect yourself by preventing overall losses that result in softened bones. This can be achieved by ingesting adequate amounts of calcium, engaging in regular resistance training, and eating a healthy, balanced diet. Avoid ingesting too much sodium, protein, smoking, and caffeine.  Too much of these can rob bones of calcium.

Beta Carotene is Highly Beneficial

Beta carotene is an important nutrient that aids in the prevention of night blindness and other eye-associated problems. It also plays an important role in helping to prevent various skin disorders, to help enhance the functioning of the immune system, and it helps to guard the body against the effects of toxins and the formation of cancer. It can also help to prevent or fight common illnesses, such as colds, flu, and infections. It is a powerful antioxidant and it protects cells while inhibiting the aging process. Recent studies have shown beta carotene helps in preventing cancer. It is also integral in the formation of bones and teeth.

Beta carotene is a close relative of vitamin A, but there is one substantial difference. Large doses of vitamin A can cause serious health problems, whereas it is virtually impossible to take too large a dose of beta carotene.

Beta carotene is a very strong anti-oxidant and serves to bolster and enhance the immune system. As with many other supplements, beta carotene has some different qualities when comparing its natural and synthetic forms. Natural beta carotene is composed of two molecule types; synthetic beta carotene consists of only one of these. While most of the beneficial effects of beta-carotene can be obtained from both types, some people have argued that some of its properties, such as its antioxidant effect, are more powerful or effective in the natural type, but there is no scientific backing for this claim, at this point.

Beta carotene deficiency is generally rare, but most often occurs in people who do not ingest enough leafy, green vegetables. When supplementation is used, vitamin E supplementation is often also necessary in conjunction, as beta carotene has been shown to sometimes lower the level of vitamin E in the blood.

Potassium Rich Foods

It is vital to make sure that everyone consumes a diet which provides sufficient amounts of potassium. Potassium is an important mineral which is required to maintain the proper pH balance of our bodily fluids. It is also integral for regulating blood pressure, maintaining bone mass, proper nervous system functioning, good muscle function, as well as for healthy and proper functioning of the heart, kidneys, and adrenal glands.

A potassium deficiency can eventually result in a condition called hypokalemia. Symptoms of hypokalemia include raised blood pressure, heart irregularities, hypertension, muscular fatigue and weakness, cramping, and constipation or other digestive problems.

The best way to get potassium is through eating a balanced diet containing potassium-rich foods.  Following is a list of food containing significant amounts of potassium:

Apricots
Bananas
Beets
Brussel sprouts
Cantaloupe
Honedew Melons
Lima Beans
Milk
Nectarines
Oranges
Pears
Peanuts
Potatoes
Prunes
Raisins
Spinach
Tomatoes
Winter Squash
Yogurt

For more information regarding the health benefits of potassium, visit MedlinePlus.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a trace element which is commonly found in soil, and it is needed in tiny amounts in order to be healthy. It is required for various bodily processes and is located in virtually every cell of your body, particularly in the kidneys, liver, spleen, testes, and pancreas.

Selenium functions as an antioxidant which fights free radicals in the body which damage DNA. It is often connected with Vitamins E and C as nutrients which aid in fight against cancerous cells, heart disease and the aging process. Selenium has been widely utilized to battle viral infections and may potentially impede the progress of AIDS/HIV. Additionally, it contributes to overall good health by aiding normal liver function.

Additional health benefits associated with selenium include helping to protect against heart disease, guarding the body against the effects of toxic minerals, and neutralizing the negative effects of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and fats. It may also help to improve male potency and is integral to maintaining healthy hair, skin and eyes.

The Health Benefits of Vitamin K

Vitamin K is a crucial nutrient which is serves important roles, including helping to build strong and healthy bones, and promoting healthy blood clotting. The majority of people are able to get enough vitamin K through eating a well-balanced and varied diet, but there are some people who could benefit from taking a vitamin K supplement.

Vitamin K has a wide range of health benefits. One of the most fundamental roles of the vitamin is for healthy blood clotting. Blood clotting stops excessive bleeding. Bruising very easily, excessive bleeding from nose-bleeds, heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding from the gums, or even bleeding from the digestive tract could all be indications of too little vitamin K in the body.

Vitamin K is also very beneficial for bone health. It works to help maintain proper calcium levels within bone tissue. This is necessary for preventing weak/brittle bones and for forming new bone. While vitamin K promotes calcium in bones, it also inhibits the calcification of body tissue, especially blood vessels, by supporting the function of a particular protein called MGP.

Optimal liver functioning also requires sufficient amounts of vitamin K to be present in the body. Another vitamin K benefit is converting glucose into glycogen, which is energy stored in the liver. It is also possible that this vitamin may help to protect the liver against cancer.