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When someone asks me which nutrients are the most important nutrients to consume, my answer is: All of them.
The fact is that your body needs a full range of nutrients to function as it is supposed to – nutrients are not optional.
While the 2,000 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients are all impressive in their own way, vitamin D is a superstar who deserves to be paid tribute.
Let's take a closer look at everything that vitamin D does for you and why you shouldn't do without it.
Vitamin D is just the beginning for bones.
Vitamin D works with parathyroid hormone (PTH) to regulate the level of calcium in the blood and promote bone health (it also helps to prevent osteoporosis).
But it is also important for teeth and oral health. Studies have shown that in men and women over 50 years of age, vitamin D deficiency is associated with an increased risk of periodontal disease (gift).
Strengthening the immune system
Vitamin D also helps to regulate the activity of the immune system by helping to prevent excessive inflammatory immune reactions, such as those observed in autoimmune diseases such as Crohn’s disease, colitis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, type 1 diabetes and Graves’ disease.
Type 2 diabetes
The role of vitamin D in regulating calcium is not limited to bones and teeth.
Calcium also plays a major role in the body’s ability to regulate glucose and insulin levels. It is therefore important to have sufficient blood calcium (which depends on healthy levels of vitamin D) to prevent type 2 diabetes.
In addition, vitamin D helps the pancreas to control glucose in the bloodstream (since the pancreas produces insulin).
Our second killer: cancer
Researchers have long been interested in the role of vitamin D in cancer prevention, as studies have shown that people living in southern latitudes (where they are more exposed to the sun and where their body can produce vitamin D) have lower levels of some cancers.
It turns out they were on the right track.
Vitamin D plays an important role in cellular activity, i.e. it helps to regulate cell multiplication and death.
By definition, cancer is excessive cell multiplication, accompanied by a slowing down of cell death. This is what allows the tumours to form and invade the surrounding tissues: they multiply at an unbridled rate and do not die.
But the action of vitamin D to encourage appropriate cellular activity manifests itself here – studies have shown that vitamin D works to decrease the growth of cancer cells and to stimulate the death of these deadly cells.
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