What is vitamin D good for?

Your body uses it to absorb minerals like calcium and phosphorus. That makes your teeth and bones strong. Vitamin D also supports your muscles, nerves, and immune system. You can get it from sunshine on your skin and from eating eggs, fatty fish, and fortified foods like milk and cereal.

What is the main benefit of vitamin D?

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium and maintain strong bones throughout your entire life. Your body produces vitamin D when the sun's UV rays contact your skin. Other good sources of the vitamin include fish, eggs, and fortified dairy products. It's also available as a dietary supplement.

What are 10 benefits of vitamin D?

How do you know if you're low in vitamin D?

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency can include muscle weakness, pain, fatigue and depression. To get enough D, look to certain foods, supplements, and carefully planned sunlight.

Is taking vitamin D everyday good for you?

Mayo Clinic recommends that adults get at least the RDA of 600 IU. However, 1,000 to 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D from a supplement is generally safe, should help people achieve an adequate blood level of vitamin D, and may have additional health benefits.

The health benefits of vitamin D

Does vitamin D give you energy?

Low energy or fatigue is a common symptom of vitamin D deficiency. That's because vitamin D seems to help mitochondria—the part of a cell that generates energy—use oxygen and power various parts of the body, including muscles. Large studies on otherwise healthy people taking a daily vitamin D supplement are lacking.

Is vitamin D good for weight loss?

"The present data indicate that in obese and overweight people with vitamin D deficiency, vitamin D supplementation aids weight loss and enhances the beneficial effects of a reduced-calorie diet," Vigna's team wrote. The researchers suggest that all overweight and obese people should have their vitamin D levels tested.

Does vitamin D affect sleep?

Research links vitamin D levels to sleep quality. In fact, several studies associate low levels of vitamin D in your blood to a higher risk of sleep disturbances, poorer sleep quality and reduced sleep duration ( 9 , 10 , 11 ).

Does vitamin D cause weight gain?

Despite these findings, the current body of research suggests that consuming higher amounts of vitamin D has little effect on weight gain or loss.

Does vitamin D affect hair?

One role vitamin D plays is stimulating new and old hair follicles. When there isn't enough vitamin D in your system, new hair growth can be stunted. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to alopecia, the autoimmune condition that causes bald patches on the scalp and other areas of the body.

Does vitamin D improve mood?

Can vitamin D affect mood? Yes, vitamin D does appear to play a slight role in mood regulation, although the jury is still out regarding its effect on depression. One study found that vitamin D supplements could improve anxiety but did not find that they affected depression ( 26 ).

How much vitamin D should I take daily?

Taking a multivitamin with vitamin D may help improve bone health. The recommended daily amount of vitamin D is 400 international units (IU) for children up to age 12 months, 600 IU for people ages 1 to 70 years, and 800 IU for people over 70 years.

Can lack of vitamin D cause anxiety?

Research indicates that there is a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and anxiety as well as depression. Individuals struggling with a mental illness may turn to problematic behavior to mask the pain.

What happens when you take too much vitamin D?

The main consequence of vitamin D toxicity is a buildup of calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia), which can cause nausea and vomiting, weakness, and frequent urination. Vitamin D toxicity might progress to bone pain and kidney problems, such as the formation of calcium stones.

How much vitamin D does a woman need?

A: The upper tolerable limit is 4,000 international units (IU) daily, and the recommended amount for women 14 to 70 is 600 IU per day. Women 71 and older should aim for 800 IU per day.

Does vitamin D help with anxiety?

Vitamin D (VD) supplementation could improve the anxiety symptoms but not depressive symptoms in depressive patients with low VD level after the 6‐month intervention.

What vitamins should not be taken together?

Why do I feel so tired after taking vitamin D?

Excessive amounts of vitamin D in the body can cause calcium levels in the blood to rise. This can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia (too much calcium in your blood). Symptoms include: fatigue.

Can vitamin D reduce belly fat?

In addition to reducing belly fat, taking vitamin D for weight loss has important implications in musculoskeletal health. A 2017 study found that combining vitamin D with aerobic exercise and resistance training can result in more calorie loss than exercise alone.

What vitamins help reduce belly fat?

A 2011 study found that overweight and obese adults taking calcium and vitamin D supplements lost significantly more stomach fat than people not taking any supplements. Food sources: While the sun is the best source of vitamin D, you can also get this vitamin from food, especially fortified foods.

Does vitamin D speed up metabolism?

It does this by boosting your metabolism, causing your body to burn more calories after eating. It could also block the formation of new fat cells in the body ( 24 , 25 ).

How long after taking vitamin D will I feel better?

So, when it comes to vitamin d deficiency treatments, how long till you start to feel better? Those with the lowest levels should feel an improvement after just a few days, while those who only need to top up their levels may have to wait a week or two before they begin to feel healthier and more energised.

What is the best vitamin for tiredness?

Can too much vitamin D hurt you?

In some cases, vitamin D toxicity can result in kidney injury and even kidney failure. This is because having too much vitamin D in the body can lead to high levels of calcium, which can lead to water loss through too much urination and calcification of the kidneys ( 21 ).