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Vitamin D Promotes Mood Support, Muscle Health, Brain Function & More*
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If bone health was vitamin D's initial claim to fame, let's call its role in immune health1 the thing that put this essential vitamin back on the map.* And while calcium absorption2 and immune response are fantastic ways for vitamin D to support our well-being, we shouldn't sleep on the other amazing talents this vitamin has to offer.*
How vitamin D supports whole-body health
Vitamin D receptors33 are found in just about every cell in the body—meaning the sunshine vitamin plays a huge role in our health across many physiological systems. Here are six additional ways that vitamin D aids in whole-body health support:*
Promotes muscle strength and function
If you're looking to holistically support your musculoskeletal system during exercise (or day-to-day movement, for that matter), you may want to consider getting your vitamin D levels checked.
Sufficient vitamin D levels are crucial for maintaining healthy muscle mass4 throughout your life span and supporting the form and function of skeletal muscles5.* In vitamin-D-insufficient or -deficient individuals (41% and 29% of the U.S. population6, respectively), vitamin D supplementation has even been shown to improve muscle strength.*
Check on your vitamin D status—taking a look at your micronutrient intake might be the next step to reaching your fitness goals.
Supports antioxidant activity and longevity
Promoting musculoskeletal longevity isn't the only way vitamin D can help bolster a long, healthy life—a recent Cureus study7 suggests that D plays a part in antioxidant activity, as well.*
Evidence from the study indicates that individuals with sufficient vitamin D levels are more likely to experience healthy antioxidant balance, while those with deficient levels are more likely to see increased oxidative stress.*
Fertility and reproductive health support
When it comes to reproductive health and fertility support, vitamin D is involved in everything from erectile function8 and sperm motility9 to conception10 and pregnancy11 (for both mama and baby).*
While still ongoing, this up-and-coming area of research suggests that both women and men can benefit from the reproductive support that vitamin D supplementation can provide.*
Oral health support
It turns out vitamin D plays a massive role in both tooth and overall oral health—a fact that should not be shocking given its role in bone integrity and immune function but surprised us nonetheless.*
Indeed, this essential vitamin plays a part in maintaining strong tooth enamel12, supporting the oral immune response13, and promoting healthy gums14.* In other words: Vitamin D is the secret weapon your dentist might not be telling you about!
Gut health
Make way, probiotics—there's another gut-supporting supplement in town! While a high-quality probiotic is still our No. 1 tool for promoting a healthy GI tract, it turns out vitamin D plays a part in diversifying the gut microbiome as well.*
However, it's worth noting that as much as vitamin D helps with overall gastrointestinal health, a healthy gut is also vital for proper vitamin D absorption—so make sure you're covering all your bases for optimal results!*
Cognitive and mood support
Vitamin D receptors are located throughout the nervous system, indicating vitamin D is a key player in supporting nervous system function and brain health.*
As it turns out, research evidence reveals that vitamin D sufficiency promotes overall cognitive function, brain development15, and even mood balance—making it a powerful tool for your noggin when it comes to both function and mental well-being.*
The takeaway
Vitamin D has a role to play in just about every system throughout the body. While bone health and immune support may be vitamin D's best-known contributions to our well-being, this essential nutrient has so much more to offer.*
To fully support your whole-body health, consider adding a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement—like mindbodygreen's vitamin D3 potency+ (hello, organic, sustainable D3 with built-in absorption technology)—to your daily wellness routine to promote sufficient vitamin D levels.* And for more supplement recommendations, check out our vitamin D roundup.
15 Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC3166406/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK56061/#ch3.s11
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/vitamin-d-receptor
- https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(14)00138-7/fulltext
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC4530385/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29644951/
- https://www.cureus.com/articles/77835-assessing-oxidative-stress-by-thioldisulfide-homeostasis-among-vitamin-d-deficient-patients
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7752519/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11154-017-9425-0
- https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/99/11/E2372/2836266?login=false
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31669079/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23356636
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30912231/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6188726/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6132681/
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