Regardless of your age, your activity level, or whether or not you have children, learn more about this critical nutrient, how it may affect your energy and your brain.
You also need to learn how this Vitamin benefits women differently than men.
As a matter of fact, Vitamin D deficiency is one of the best ways of sabotaging your health without even trying.
Vitamin D deficiency has also been connected to lots of adverse health outcomes in especially women and Babies.
SYMPTOMS OF VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY
Symptoms in pregnant women
- Preeclampsia (don't you dare ask me what that means, just kidding!)
- Gestational diabetes
- Increased rate of C-section
- Bacterial vaginosis
- Bone loss
- Hip fractures especially during Labour
- Suppressed immune response
- Poor mood and agitated thoughts
- Insulin resistance
Symptoms for baby
- Small size (low birth weight)
- Impaired growth
- Skeletal malformations, and sometimes brittle bones
- Seizures
- Hypocalcemia (low bone density)
- Impaired hormone formation in babies
- Type-1 Diabetes for both mother and baby.
This isn’t meant to scare anyone, but instead to highlight the importance of this crucial nutrient!
BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D IN WOMEN
1. Increase In fertility
On several occasions the dominance of the hormone Estrogen, is one of the main causes of infertility and a host hormone-related diseases in women.
A study in 2010 showed that high doses of vitamin D lowered the dominance of Estrogen in the body, thus improving fertility.
High estrogen levels can make conception a nightmare.
Supplementing with vitamin D not only increases your chances of conceiving naturally, it may also improve your success with in-vitro fertilization (IVF).
If you’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant, be sure to get your vitamin D levels tested and work with a trusted practitioner to find the dose that’s right for you.
2. Prevent breast cancer
Seventy percent of women with breast cancer are vitamin D deficient.
Among the other benefits of vitamin D for women, it has been shown to prevent breast cancer cell growth and decrease the expression of cancer-causing genes.
Vitamin D may even be considered just as powerful as the most modern anti-cancer drugs.
Experts say that Vitamin D enters the cells and triggers the cell death process which is similar to what we see when cancer cells are treated with Tamoxifen, a drug used to treat breast cancer.
Breast cancer survival rate is higher with women whose intake of Vitamin D was icreased.
3. Build stronger bones
During pregnancy, the mother needs calcium for both her skeleton and the baby’s.
Without vitamin D, calcium won’t be absorbed in the hard tissues like bone and teeth.
This can cause bone loss and severe osteopenia for both the mother and the child.
Vitamin D has also been shown to increase the absorption of calcium from food.
Again, Brittle bones are thought of as an unavoidable consequence of aging but studies show that giving elderly women vitamin D can increase life expectancy by 6% (or two years)
4. Fortifying Your immune system
Vitamin D supports the “killer cells” of your immune system.
These killer cells are important for seeking out and destroying pathogens.
These “killer cells” lie dormant around your body until they are needed to fend off an invader are activated only when you need them.
Vitamin D is one of the most important ingredients for these signals.
Vitamin D plays a role in the cell’s ability to go into alert mode and tells the cell to " calm down" when the job is done because If your “killer cells” continue to rampage through your body, they can cause collateral damage and may contribute to autoimmune disorder.
5. Avoid Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a hormone disorder common in menstruating-age women.
The most common symptoms are weight gain, acne, facial hair growth and infertility. Most women with PCOS are deficient in vitamin D.
One study shows correlations between low vitamin D levels, insulin resistance, and inflammation, all of which contribute to PCOS.
6. Reduction in Miscarriage rates
Vitamin D has been known to reduce the occurrence of miscarriages during pregnancy.
Vitamin D should be a staple supplement for everyone, especially women. If you want to get pregnant – it’s essential.
Vitamin D is far from a "woman thing", we will also look at Vitamin D as it affects Men.
BENEFITS OF VITAMIN D IN MEN
1. Reduces Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes in Men
A deficiency in vitamin D has been linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, primarily due to the fact that scientists observed that when the level of vitamin D is low in a person’s body, insulin secretion reduces.
2. Reduces The Severity And Frequency Of Asthma Attack
Asthma affects more than 300 million people around the world and is actually not particular to men.
It is however not news that an asthma attack can be fatal and even lead to mortality if not treated in a timely manner.
Medical report show that there are new evidences suggesting that taking a vitamin D supplement, along with asthma medication, may further reduce the risk of experiencing an asthma attack and may lower the severity of such an attack should it occur.
3. Normalized Blood Pressure
Hypertension is a condition that can have a significant adverse effect on a person’s overall wellbeing, especially for men.
It can cause many symptoms, including symptoms of erectile dysfunction.
Supplementing the body with an adequate supply of vitamin D can reduce blood pressure to a normal and healthier level.
4. Cancer Prevention
The importance of taking adequate measures of Vitamin D cannot be overemphasized.
According to the National Cancer Institute, evidence has been provided that vitamin D may assist with the prevention of cancers associated with men such as colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer
5. Helps in Weight loss
This part should be considered juicy, especially for young men frustrated with their pot bellies.
Deficiency in Vitamin D has been known to increase abdominal fat.
Furthermore, a balance in this vitamin also helps the body absorb certain nutrients that are also essential for maintaining a healthy weight.
It reduces unnecessary cravings for certain kinds of food.
6. Stops hair damage
Vitamin D stops receding hair lines or bald head in men.
Another goodnews, Oh yeah brothers!
Thou that sufferest bald head and ye are forced to always wear face caps. Lol
7. Increased Testosterone Levels
Finally Vitamin D is known as an effective treatment measure for men who are suffering from hypogonadism, a condition that refers to a level of testosterone that are considered to be too low.
However the right dosage can only be prescribed by a physician. Please consult with a Doctor!
SOURCES OF VITAMIN D
Vitamin D is largely believed to be gotten from direct sunlight but you will agree with me that it is almost impossible for modern city-dwelling people like us to process enough Vitamin D; therefore alternative sources have to be considered, especially from food sources.
Foods that provide vitamin D include:
- Fatty fish, like tuna, mackerel, and sardine
- Foods fortified with vitamin D, like some dairy products, orange juice, soy milk, and cereals
- Beef liver
- Cheese
- Egg yolks.
That's it on the wonders of Vitamin D.
Stay Healthy!
Love,
Your Fragile Giant!
