Vitamin D has proven to be vital today: it not only protects our bones, but also makes a crucial contribution to a strong and active immune system.
In our body, vitamin D turns into a real hormone with different functions. One of its main benefits is to maintain calcium (and especially phosphorus and magnesium) and plasma levels at optimal levels to play its fundamental role in bone mineralization at all stages of life.
- Important for activation of the body's defenses
A recent study by the University of Copenhagen, published in Nature Immunology, confirmed that vitamin D is absolutely essential for the activation of the immune system to be effective in providing strong protection against external threats. Without vitamin D, so-called T cells (which are responsible for destroying viruses and bacteria) do not respond to serious infections.
T cells are a type of white blood cells that are able to detect and suppress groups of bacteria and viruses that enter our body. When they are exposed to a pathogen from the outside, they secrete a kind of receptor that looks for vitamin D to act. If they do not find it, T cells will not even be able to mobilize. According to the study, a stable level of vitamin D in the body will significantly reduce the risk of infections, autoimmune diseases, some types of cancer and osteoporosis. - How to get enough vitamin D?
Obtaining vitamin D depends on several factors of varying importance depending on the individual and often related to each other. "These are mainly the effect on digestion, exposure to sunlight, activation of the liver and especially the kidneys. The interactions between the different levels are multiple, as well as the effectiveness of the vitamin receptor in different target organs, which can be the cause of symptoms and signs of deficiency even at adequate plasma concentrations " It is important to include foods rich in vitamin D in our diet. "In the SHA diet, we especially recommend foods of plant origin because they do not have the disadvantages of animal products in terms of body weight and cholesterol metabolism." Another way to get vitamin D is to stay in the sun, although this should be handled with caution due to the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. And, of course, don't forget about supplements, which are especially useful to get to places where food itself is lacking for some reason. - From skin to food deficiency: when can vitamin D deficiency appear?
There are several factors that can cause vitamin D deficiency. As Dr. Vicente Mera notes, one of the most common is "insufficient amounts of foods containing vitamin D, such as in strict vegetarian diets or low consumption of fish from the open sea." Other causes may include spending little time outdoors, living in climates with low sun exposure, or using sunscreens. In addition, the body's inability to produce and use vitamin D due to a specific pathology, most commonly celiac disease, is often undetected or underdiagnosed.