Vitamin D acts to regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. This has profound implications for bone, tooth and muscle health.
Vitamin D can be obtained either from food or by exposure to sunlight, yet millions of people suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.
Not getting enough vitamin D can cause a cascade of problems in both adults and children. That is where vitamin D supplements come in.
Below our panel of experts will examine the many benefits of vitamin D supplements.
17 Benefits Of Vitamin D Supplements
1: Vitamin D can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Vitamin D3 and calcium can help prevent osteoporosis. This is extremely important in aging adults, especially those who are prone to falls, as fractures are very common in those with weaker bones (1).
2: Vitamin D can help treat familial hypophosphatemia.
Hypophosphatemia is a rare bone disorder that’s due to low levels of phosphate in the blood. Taking vitamin D by mouth with a phosphate supplement is very effective in treating bone disorders. However, vitamin D must be taken in calcitriol or dihydrotachysterol orally in order to see results.
3: Vitamin D may help prevent cavities.
Vitamin D3 has been linked to a reduction in cavities in children and teens. One study showed that vitamin D reduces the risk of cavities by up to 49% in youth (2). It’s also been shown to prevent the loss of teeth in the aging population.
4: Vitamin D may be able to treat airway infection.
Some clinical trials suggest that respiratory infections in both adults and children, regardless of the cause may respond to vitamin D therapy. In addition, studies have noted that taking it during pregnancy may reduce the risk of respiratory infections in the baby after birth (3).
5: Vitamin D helps treat underactive parathyroid (hypoparathyroidism).
Hypoparathyroidism is caused by low levels of parathyroid hormones, which in turn causes calcium levels to be quite low. Vitamin D in three forms (dihydrotachysterol, calcitriol, or ergocalciferol) helps increase the calcium level in the blood, helping to increase these hormones.
6: Vitamin D may help increase overall strength.
According to research, having adequate levels of vitamin D has been linked to improved physical strength all over the body (4).
7: Vitamin D may help reduce and treat bone loss in those with overactive parathyroid.
Like underactive parathyroid, taking vitamin D3 orally is linked to reducing bone loss in those who have hyperparathyroidism (5).
8: Vitamin D helps keep bones strong.
When the bones soften, it’s called osteomalacia. Vitamin D3 is effective in calcifediol form for treating the softened bones due to liver disease. Vitamin D2 is effective for treating softening bones due to poor absorption or medication side effects.
9: Vitamin D may help prevent cancers.
While there needs to be more clinical trials, one study showed that 1,100 IU of vitamin D per day combined with calcium showed a significant decrease in the risk of cancer (6).
10: Vitamin D is helpful for people with kidney disease.
Part of the side effects of kidney disease is a bone disorder called renal osteodystrophy. Vitamin D in calcitriol form taken orally has shown to improve low levels of calcium in the body and prevent further bone loss.
11: Vitamin D is helpful in preventing Rickets.
In calcitriol form, vitamin D is very effective in preventing Rickets and treating the symptoms, especially if the individual has kidney failure.
12: Vitamin D may help to treat depression.
In those with clinical depression, adequate vitamin D levels may help ease the impact of symptoms. Vitamin D should not replace any prescribed antidepressants, and those with depression should be consulting their doctor before taking a supplement (7).
13: Vitamin D is helpful in reducing bone loss due to medications.
When individuals take corticosteroids, they may experience bone loss and low calcium levels. Vitamin D alone, and combined with a calcium supplement, may help increase bone density that the drug causes.
14: Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes in children.
One particular study suggests that 2,000 IU of daily vitamin D was linked to a 78% reduction in the risk of developing type 1 diabetes in childhood (8).
15: Vitamin D may help treat the symptoms of Psoriasis.
When vitamin D is taken in the calcitriol, calcipotriene, maxacalcitol, or paricalcitol forms, it has shown to be effective for plaque-type Psoriasis. In combination with corticosteroids, it seems to be more effective than either treatment on their own. Taking vitamin D orally does not improve the symptoms.
16: Vitamin D may help prevent heart failure.
Early research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may increase the risk of heart failure when compared to those who have normal levels of vitamin D.
It’s possible that taking a vitamin D supplement can help reduce the risk of heart failure, particularly in women. Many sources also suggest that vitamin D may help prevent premature death in those with heart failure.
17: Vitamin D may help reduce the risk of premature mortality.
There have been several studies that show that vitamin D reduces the risk of premature death (9, 10). However, more research is needed on this topic, as it’s difficult to directly link the two.
Many of these studies require more research to provide more concrete evidence, but it’s clear that vitamin D is crucial to our overall well being.
Conclusion
Whether you want to bolster the strength of your bones, fend off respiratory infections or enjoy healthier looking skin vitamin D supplements can help. Safe and effective they compensate for a lack of dietary vitamin D and for a lack of exposure to the sun.