Vitamin D Why It's Essential

More and more studies are revealing the benefits of having plenty of D

 and the dangerous of having too little.

High Levels are linked to...

• Greater resistance to viruses During a recent study, researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine  discovered that people with high levels of vitamin D got sick about half as often as people with low levels. And they did fall ill, they recovered in fewer days. The reason: Vitamin D instructs your white blood cells to manufacture a protein that kills infection. 
• Less Cancer - Specifically, a 30 to 50 percent lower chance of colon cancer. D regulates some of the genes responsible for cellular growth and survival, says Holick, and it does its job cleverly: " It helps shut down any out-of-control growth to prevent malignancy. If that doesn't  work, it will help kill the cell. And if tumor grows anyway, it will work to cut off blood supply.
• Higher cancel survival rate - At the Dana-Ferber Cancer Institute, researchers found that colon cancer patients with high levels of D had a 39 percent lower chance of dying from the disease. And this might actually apply to all cancers, says Edward Giovannucci, MD ScD professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health.
• Reduced rick of Parkinson's Disease - Researchers believe the correlation, which Archives of Neurology reported in July may have to do with D's protective effect on the brain: It regulates calcium levels, enhances the conduction of electricity through neurons, and detoxifies cells, among other handy functions.

Low levels are linked to......

• Heart Disease - People with insufficient D levels have 80 percent greater risk of narrowing of the arteries, according to a long-term study at John Hopkins. This might have to do with D's role in regulating more than 200 genes and controlling inflammation, and its possible involvement in modulating blood pressure.
• Diabetes - Since D stimulates insulin production, it's no surprise that too little is associated with diabetes. Research has also shown that kids who are deficient in D have 200 percent greater chance of developing type 1.
• Chronic Pain - A 2008 study showed that more than 25 percent of chronic paint patients have low D levels, which could be because D helps control neuro-muscular  function . And a 2010 study correlated low levels of the vitamin with migraines and headaches. A dearth of D may prevent blood vessels from constructing and dilating properly which can lead of throbbing pain.
• Depression - D may help stimulate serotonin production, which could explain why people who don't get enough are more susceptible to the blues.
• Higher risk of death - After analyzing D levels of more than 13,000 people, researchers at John Hopkins found that those with the lowest levels had a 26 percent greater chance of dying from any cause. So lets give life importance more than anything!