How Can Vitamin D Benefit My Health?

1. Vitamin D and the Immune System

A healthy immune system is important all year round. If you’re looking for ways to support your immune system, establishing healthy lifestyle habits is a good place to start. Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and getting adequate rest can all help support your immune health.ⁱ Surprisingly, vitamin D might play a role as well. Some research shows that vitamin D may have beneficial effects on immune function.ⁱⁱ Aim to include vitamin D-rich foods in your diet and get some sun exposure (while minding sun safety) to help support a healthy immune system.

2. Vitamin D for Bone Health

To maintain bone health, vitamin D is essential. Vitamin D increases your body’s absorption of calcium, which in turn helps you build strong, healthy bones.ⁱⁱⁱ Like other vitamins and nutrients, vitamin D is beneficial during the body’s developmental years, but it’s important to remember that vitamin D can help benefit bone health for older adults as well. In fact, studies show that getting enough vitamin D in your diet helps slow down bone mineral loss, which can protect against osteoporosis and reduce bone fractures.^iv If you’re concerned about your bone health, consider talking to your doctor to see if a vitamin D supplement might be a good option for you.

3. Vitamin D for Healthy Teeth

Here is some news that might bring a smile to your face: Vitamin D may be good for your teeth too. As you read above, vitamin D helps with calcium absorption. Just like your bones, your teeth are composed of calcium. Research shows that vitamin D’s positive effect on calcium absorption may help strengthen teeth too.^v In fact, in one controlled study, supplementing with vitamin D helped reduce cavities in children by 47%.^vi For a healthy smile, you don’t need to go overboard on your vitamin D intake. Just aim to get the recommended amount of vitamin D each day through foods, sunlight, or a multivitamin with vitamin D—and this will help you in the right direction.

4. Vitamin D for Cognitive Function

Not only is vitamin D good for your bones—it’s good for your mind, too! Essential for brain growth and development, vitamin D plays a critical role in neurodevelopment in the early years.^vii In addition, vitamin D may also help us as we age. Recently, some studies confirmed an association between cognitive impairment, dementia, and vitamin D deficiency.^viii Since vitamin D is good for both your mind and body, making sure your body gets enough vitamin D from sunshine, diet, or a supplement is important.
 

5. Vitamin D and Happiness

Are you in a better mood when the sun is shining? Vitamin D might be the reason why. Some studies suggest that inadequate vitamin D levels may put you at increased risk for depression.^ix Since our bodies create vitamin D when we go outdoors, lack of sunshine can inhibit us from producing sufficient levels of vitamin D. To enhance your mood and keep your vitamin D levels up, aim to get a few minutes of sunshine each day. Consider going for a walk or taking a bike ride during your time outdoors, as a little exercise can help elevate your mood as well!

We hope that you liked learning about some of the top vitamin D benefits. To make sure your body gets all the vitamin D it needs, we recommend taking a balanced, three-way approach: eat a vitamin-D rich diet, spend some time outdoors, and take a vitamin with vitamin D, like Centrum® Multivitamin

For more on this topic, explore The ABC’s of Vitamin D.

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.