7 Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is often called the “sunshine vitamin,” mostly because we get it naturally when the sun’s UV rays interact with our skin, which triggers the vitamin’s synthesis. The vitamin helps our body’s absorption of calcium to keep our bones strong and encourage healthy cells to grow.

Here are a few more health benefits of this versatile vitamin, according to healthline.com:

1. Fighting Depression

Studies have found that people with depression are often deficient in vitamin D and that depression gets better after taking a vitamin D supplement.

Read how depression is lower in scleroderma patients who are in happy relationships.

2. Fighting Disease

Recent studies indicate that vitamin D can reduce the risk of major diseases such as multiple sclerosis, heart disease, influenza, diabetes, and many more.

Discover nine signs that you could have a vitamin D deficiency here.

3. Helps With Weight Loss

According to research, vitamin D and calcium supplements can aid in weight loss. Research subjects who took the supplements reported more weight loss than subjects who took placebos.

Discover 10 frequently asked questions about scleroderma here.

4. Genes

It is believed that vitamin D affects over 2,000 genes in the body—which could help protect against cancers.

Read about seven tips for living with scleroderma here.

5. Muscle Strength

It’s well known that vitamin D helps to keep bones and teeth strong, but now we know that muscle strength can also be affected by this nutrient.

Discover nine signs that you could have a vitamin D deficiency here.

6. Healthy Pregnancy

Taking a vitamin D supplement while pregnant could help to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia for the mom, and rickets in the child.

Vitamin D: what is it and are you getting enough?  Read more here.

7. Ease Scleroderma Symptoms

Around 80 percent of scleroderma patients have a vitamin D deficiency.  Taking a supplement could help with many of the symptoms associated with the disease.

Read about the correlation between scleroderma disease activity and vitamin D deficiency here.

Scleroderma News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.