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What is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is one of the essential vitamins needed by the body. It is a fat-soluble vitamin present in a few foods and taken as dietary supplements.
Like any other essential vitamins, it is taken either through diet or supplements as the body does not produce it.
How is Vitamin D Formed?
It is formed when the Ultraviolet rays from the sun hit the skin, which results in vitamin D synthesis.
This Vitamin helps in maintaining healthy bones and teeth, Insulin and diabetes regulation, supporting the cardiovascular health and the respiratory system, and influences developing cancerous genes.
As humans, if we don’t supply our body with the necessary amount of vitamin D, we are bound to be deficient in it, and it will have some health repercussions.
Causes of these deficiencies could be that you don’t consume enough vitamin D, or you barely go outside; exposure to sunlight is minimal.
Why is vitamin D important?
Vitamin D is essential along with other vitamins for the necessary functioning of the body, but irrespective of how this vitamin is vital to both sexes, how does the level of vitamin D affect women?
Why is vitamin D supplementation imperative for women? Let’s check out 5 Reasons You Should Get Your Vitamin D Level Checked.
Why is it essential to get your vitamin D level checked?
Healthy Pregnancy
Are you about to be a mother? Or you’ve given birth. I’m sure during your pre-natal sessions, you must have been advised on how to kick up your vitamin intake, especially vitamin D.
Why? This is because gestating mothers who are deficient of this vitamin have a higher risk of having preeclampsia, the sudden rise of blood pressure, and swelling of feet, hands, and the face and would require a cesarean section after that.
To avoid this doesn’t mean you should go ham on the vitamin D supplement, as women who have an excess of this vitamin during pregnancy have been found to have food allergies in the child for the first two years.
Always check your vitamin level to be sure it’s not too high and not too low.
Fertility
The dominance of estrogen in the body is one of the primary causes of infertility and other problems. Although vitamin D may increase fertility by six percent, other studies have shown that it works in synergy with other vitamins.
A deficiency in this vitamin alone may not be the problem of infertility, it could possibly be a deficiency in others or excessive consumption of vitamin D. To avoid infertility or promote fertility, make sure you check your vitamin D level along with the level of other essential vitamins in your body.
Breast Cancer
It has been reported that about 70 percent of women living with breast cancer in the world today are vitamin D deficient.
Most of these women and other women are not aware of the cancer prevention abilities of vitamin D.
Studies have shown that vitamin D decreases the amount of cancer-causing genes and prevents the growth of cells in the breast that causes cancer.
If one consumes this vitamin moderately, then the risk of developing breast cancer drops to a staggering 30 percent.
An intake of 2000 IU of vitamin D supplements a day can cause a 50 percent reduction in the incidence of breast cancer.
Vitamin D reduces not only breast cancer but other cancer risks in women. Check your vitamin D level.
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Stronger Bones
Vitamin D is essential for the promotion and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth.
Although this is for both sexes, how does it affect women, particularly? Pregnant women need calcium for both their skeleton and that of the baby.
You’re probably wondering – calcium is a mineral, vitamin D is a vitamin, how does it affect my bone health?
Without the presence of vitamins D in your body, your body won’t absorb calcium in hard tissues such as the bones and teeth.
Deficiency in this vitamin would cause bone loss and osteopenia for both the mother and her child.
In 2007, research proved that women deficient in vitamin D have a 77 percent possibility of suffering a hip fracture. And moderation in it has an increased life expectancy of older women by 6 percent. Ensure adequate consumption of this vitamin, check your levels to know how you’re doing.
Immunity
The immune system is responsible for fighting alien bodies that cause attacks on the white blood cells and bring about specific ailments. Whether male or female, we all need to fortify our immune system, but pregnant women need it more.
At this stage, they are susceptible to specific ailments that could harm them or and the baby, so they need vitamin D.
Vitamin D fortifies the immune system and is a constituent of the signals that alert these antibodies about the intrusion of pathogens and other alien bodies. Most cases of infertility are related to some level of autoimmune disturbance.
When pregnant, it’s necessary to avoid diseases as it might affect you and the fetus, and you can’t do this without a low vitamin level. Check it to know where you stand.
So, you’ve seen that as a woman, you need sufficient vitamin D in your body.
Are you consuming enough vitamin D? or maybe you are consuming it but excessively. Either way, the body needs it along with other vitamins in moderate amounts, not too high, not too low.
Your level of vitamin D helps you avert some of the above ailments. Do you know your vitamin D level?
-Shameka
Results may vary. Information and statements made are for general purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. Her Own Health does not dispense medical advice, prescribe, or diagnose illness. The views and nutritional advice expressed by Her Own Health are not intended to be a substitute for conventional medical service. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.