Vitamin D Benefits for Over-50s: Five Great Reasons To Get Some Sun

Have all the warnings about potential risks got you hiding from the sun this summer? Rethink the duck and cover routine. Research shows that the vitamin D benefits we get from sensible sun exposure far outweigh the dangers.A growing body of research implicates vitamin D deficiency in a host of age-related ailments and disorders, ranging from bone diseases and diabetes to cardiovascular problems, increased risk of many forms of cancer, suppressed immune function, and even depression. Studies indicate that as many as two thirds of US adults and teens are actually deficient in this crucial nutrient, and many experts say the trend to avoiding the sun is making matters worse.Sun exposure is actually the most important source of the vitamin, which is often referred to as "the sunshine vitamin" because though dietary sources of it are limited, the sun's ultraviolet-B rays triggers the body to produce its own supply; it's believed that given adequate sun a healthy human body can synthesize as much as 90% of the amount it needs. By avoiding the sun we could be eliminating one risk only to incur many greater ones.A joint study by U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and Norway's Institute for Cancer Research in Oslo concluded that the health benefits from some sun exposure are far larger than the skin cancer risk. As little as 20 minutes of sun exposure to the face and hands daily can trigger the synthesis of the vitamin, and exposure that limited is highly unlikely to result in the development of skin cancer or premature aging.A combination of sun-limiting lifestyle and a natural decrease in the aging body's ability to synthesize the vitamin make D vitamin deficiency a major health hazard for older people. Sufficient amounts of the vitamin are believed to boost aging health in many ways, including the following:Helps prevent hip and other bone fractures A 2009 study by the University of Pittsburgh determined that low levels of the vitamin can increase post-menopausal women's risk of hip fracture by as much as 70%. One of D vitamin's primary functions is to regulate the absorption of calcium, making it crucial to the prevention of bone softening diseases such as osteoporosis.Protects against cancer The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that a four-year clinical trial involving 1,179 healthy post-menopausal women showed that improving calcium and vitamin D levels substantially reduced risk of all cancers in postmenopausal women.May help prevent and treat depression It is known that the vitamin plays a key role in a number of neurological and hormonal processes, and feelings of depression are identified as one of the symptoms of D vitamin deficiency. Research indicates that low levels of the vitamin are distinctly related to depression.Boosts energy and improves physical performance A recent Wake Forest University School of Medicine study found that physical performance of people over 65, including walking speed, grip strength, and ability to rise from a sitting position to standing, was 10 percent lower among participants with deficient blood levels of the vitamin. May help prevent autoimmune diseases Research has shown unmistakable associations between deficiencies of the vitamin and autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Vitamin D: Women Need It At All Stages Of Life

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