Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin
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By Stephanie Martin
Otherwise known as ‘the sunshine vitamin,’ vitamin D is naturally produced in your body when your skin is exposed to direct sunlight without sunscreen. This is a nutrient that is available to you for free! Make it a habit to relax or play in the sun each day for 10 – 15 minutes if you have fair skin and about 25 minutes if you have a darker skin.

It is also known as the ‘vitamin of the decade,’ due to its numerous health advantages. Vitamin D plays an important role in increasing the flow of calcium into the bloodstream, enabling normal bone mineralization and thereby sustaining a healthy skeletal system. 

handsunshineVitamin D also helps protect the skin and is used very effectively around the world to treat psoriasis, vitiligo and sclerodema. It helps balance and strengthen the immune system; protecting against colds and even auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Vitamin D also increases the body's sensitivity to the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin, which helps lower the risk of developing diabetes and promotes a healthy body weight. It even protects and maintains healthy brain function by reducing oxidative damage, decreasing inflammation and reducing the build up of amyloid plaques thus lessening the symptoms of M.S, depression, Parkinsons and Alzheimers.  

However, probably the most exciting benefit of Vitamin D is its incredible ability to significantly lower the risk of developing cancer, especially breast cancer. Genetic receptors throughout the body need adequate vitamin D levels to prevent cancer and other serious illnesses from developing. Vitamin D may even reduce tumour growth and inhibit its progessio due to its ability to inhibit angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels that permit the spread of cancer cells throughout the body)

So when you consider the numerous important health benefits derived from a single substance, Vitamin D is definitely one very impressive nutrient. It seems the best things in life really are free.