Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods. Vitamin D is important for the maintenance of a healthy body because it helps maximize the absorption and utilization of calcium, an important mineral that our bodies need. When paired with calcium, vitamin D helps regulate bone remodeling and growth, ensuring healthy, strong bones. Vitamin D can also help protect older adults from osteoporosis, which is caused by bone loss due to aging. NatureWise D3 boosts the immune system and reduces inflammation within the body, thus warding off future medical conditions. It also plays a vital role in cell growth, neuromuscular functions and protein encoding. Studies have shown that a regular, healthy vitamin D intake can also serve as an
antidepressant and make people feel generally happier.
Why is taking a Vitamin D supplement better than getting it from the sun?
Sun exposure is another method of obtaining vitamin D, as our bodies can create our own sources of the nutrient upon exposure to UV rays. However, it is difficult to gauge exactly how much sun exposure can generate sufficient vitamin D, as overexposure can be harmful to the body as well. UV rays are also known to trigger free radicals, which can lead to skin cancer if left unchecked. It has been suggested by some vitamin D researchers that approximately 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at least twice a week to the face, arms, legs or back can usually lead to sufficient vitamin D synthesis. Exposed areas of the body cannot be covered by sunscreen, as the SPF factor blocks UV rays and can hinder vitamin D synthesis reaction. For individuals living in cloudy areas lacking in sunlight, it is important to gain the recommended vitamin D via other means.
Dietary supplements are also an excellent way of obtaining vitamin D. I choose NatureWise D3 (cholecalciferol) as my supplement for my vitamin D. There are two forms of D (D2 and D3). The only difference is their chemical side-chain structure and how they are synthesized, but are equally effective upon ingestion.
What Research Studies are saying about Vitamin D
D-fense for Your Health: As the research into vitamin D is accumulating, it is hard to know where the accolades should start. "Activated vitamin D is one of the most potent inhibitors of cancer cell growth," says Michael F. Holick, PhD, MD, who heads the Vitamin D, Skin, and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University School of Medicine. "It also stimulates your pancreas to make insulin. It regulates your immune system."
At Boston University, after people with high blood pressure were exposed to UVA and UVB rays for three months, their vitamin D levels increased by more than 100% -- and more impressively, their high blood pressure normalized. "We've followed them now for nine months, and their hypertension continues to be in remission," says Holick, professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at Boston University. One theory about how vitamin D reduces blood pressure: It decreases the production of a hormone called renin, which is believed to play a role in hypertension.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2003, of more than 3,000 veterans (ages 50 to 75) at 13 Veterans Affairs medical centers, those who consumed more than 645 IU of vitamin D a day along with more than 4 grams per day of cereal fiber had a 40% reduction in their risk of developing precancerous colon polyps.
In a report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in February 2004, researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland showed that elderly women who took a vitamin D supplement plus calcium for three months reduced their risk of falling by 49% compared with consuming calcium alone. Those women who had fallen repeatedly in the past seemed to gain the most benefit from vitamin D.
A study in the Jan. 13, 2004 issue of Neurology indicated that women who get doses of vitamin D that are typically found in daily multivitamin supplements -- of at least 400 international units -- are 40% less likely to develop multiple sclerosis compared with those not taking over-the-counter supplements.
Benefits of Vitamin D
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, vitamin D is essential for the "formation, growth, and repair of bones and for normal calcium absorption and immune function." Studies suggest that "higher levels of vitamin D in the blood are associated with reduced risks of colorectal cancer; however, the research results overall have been inconsistent."
• It is crucial for the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous, which have various functions, especially the maintenance of healthy bones.
• It is an immune system regulator.
• Aids the immune system - vitamin D may be an important way to arm the immune system against disorders like the common cold, say scientists from the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Children's Hospital Boston.
• MS risk - it may reduce the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. Multiple sclerosis is much less common the nearer you get to the tropics, where there is much more sunlight, according to Dennis Bourdette, chairman of the Department of Neurology and director of the Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology Center at Oregon Health and Science University, USA.
• Maintaining cognitive functions - vitamin D may play a key role in helping the brain keep working well in later life, according to a study of 3000 European men between the ages of 40 and 79.
• Healthy body weight - vitamin D probably plays an important role in maintaining a healthy body weight, according to research carried out at the Medical College of Georgia, USA.
• Asthma symptoms and frequency - it can reduce the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms, and also the likelihood of hospitalizations due to asthma, researchers from Harvard Medical School found after monitoring 616 children in Costa Rica.
• Rheumatoid arthritis - it has been shown to reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.
• Protects from radiation damage - a form of vitamin D could be one of our body's main protections against damage from low levels of radiation, say radiological experts from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
• Vitamin D and cancer risk - various studies have shown that people with adequate levels of vitamin D have a significantly lower risk of developing cancer, compared to those whose levels are low. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be prevalent in cancer patients regardless of nutritional status in a study carried out by the Cancer Treatment Centers of America.
• T.B. recovery - high vitamin D doses can help people recover from tuberculosis more rapidly, researchers reported in September 2012 in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
• Heart attack risk - A study published in September 2012 suggested that low levels of vitamin D might increase the risk of heart attack and early death.
Why I Decided To Take It:
Most people a vitamin D deficient. Over the years as I enter my 40’s, I have seen a decline in my body’s performance. I am a healthy individual however; my body does not perform the way it did when I was in my twenties. This is because our bodies do not produce the same amount of hormones, we lack many vitamins and nutrients that most people are unaware of and most people just accept it as this is what happens when we get older. Especially, vitamin D because you cannot get Vitamin D from most of the food we eat. Our main resource is the sun for vitamin D. However, if we provide our body’s with what they need (what our body is lacking) who says, we cannot feel the way when we are twenty again.
I had a blood test and the doctor told me that I was lacking vitamin D, so I heard about NatureWise Vitamin D3 and all the great benefits you can obtain from using it so I bought it on Amazon and started using it. I noticed a vast improvement in my energy. By replenishing using NatureWise Vitamin D3, I am able to function more effectively and productively on a daily basis.
Why I Love This Product?
I have read many articles that caution people about what vitamins and supplements you should choose and many experts advise people to use a reliable vitamin company with a good reputation because many vitamin companies may not use the actual supplements. Some companies use artificial components or fillers in their vitamins and supplements. In addition, you need to use a reliable company that uses fish that carry no mercury in it because you do not want fill your body with hazardous toxins.
I am always extra careful by reading the labels and researching the ingredients in the bottle before I buy it and you should be to. I have used several of NatureWise products. I have also been using their green coffee extract for over a year, I find their supplements to be effective, and the company is professional and reliable. If you have a question, they will get back to you quickly and answer any questions.
I was very impressed with their Vitamin D3. It DOES NOT contain any fillers, binders, preservatives, wheat, gluten, soybeans, dairy, eggs, nuts, stearates, silica, or titanium dioxide.
As an author of the book, “The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body - Heal Your Body Naturally and Maintain Optimal Health Using Alternative Medicine, Herbals, Vitamins, Fruits and Vegetables, I found NatureWise: D3 vitamins to be very beneficial.”
