Humans need sunlight to prevent vitamin D deficiency. This is the only way our body can produce this substance itself. But can vitamin D protect us from cancer, cure heart disease, and cure infections overnight? New findings and studies speak for it.
Vitamin D – an important hormone precursor
“I am convinced that one of the reasons for the increasing number and increasingly complicated clinical pictures is that 90 percent of all Germans now suffer from a vitamin D deficiency in winter,” says Professor Jörg Spitz. For more than 40 years, scientist has been researching the substance that is called vitamin D but is actually a precursor to a hormone. For years, physicians were convinced that vitamin D alone is important for bone metabolism. Now it has been found out: “Not only the bone cells, but all cells of the body need this substance in order to function.” The proof: Every body cell, no matter how tiny, has a vitamin D receptor. And it works like a security lock: Only when vitamin D (the key) docks can it open and do its job.
More sun for more vitamin D
If no “D” docks, there will be a long-term vitamin D deficiency and thus serious metabolic disorders and diseases. The body only produces enough vitamin D when we are outdoors and the sun’s rays fall on a sufficiently large area of our skin. “But most people are inside all day, even in summer, when ten minutes would be enough to cover the daily requirement.” Another problem: In winter we can stay outside as long as we want – the sun simply does not there enough strength for the body to produce enough vitamin D. The need cannot be met through food either. “If we don’t have enough vitamin D in our blood, it’s like there are hooligans rioting at a football game and there aren’t enough police to stop the riots,” said Spitz. In a book, he presents, among other things, seven new studies from all over the world that show the diverse effects of the vitamin.
Vitamin D and its benefits
1st study: The team of scientists led by Professor Joan Lappe from the Creighton University of Nebraska revolutionized cancer research with their study: people who take in enough vitamin D every day have a 77 percent reduced risk of developing cancer. The sun hormone prevents cell degeneration and keeps the tissue healthy.
2nd study: More than 3,000 patients with heart diseases were examined by the scientists of the Ludwigshafen research branch. Result: For those with vitamin D deficiency or low vitamin D levels, the risk of dying from heart disease was increased by up to 220 percent. In contrast, subjects with high vitamin D levels had a lower heart attack rate. Because our heart also has vitamin D receptors. If the hormone docks here, it protects the vessels.
3rd study: A stroke causes less damage when the body is sufficiently supplied with vitamin D, US researchers found out. The reason is the protective function that the substance exerts on the cell and nerve tissue.
4th study: If there is enough vitamin D in the body, an infection subsides within one to two days, Danish researchers discovered. In order for the defense cells to be able to locate and eliminate invading pathogens, they have to be transformed from harmless immune cells into active killer cells – and for this, they need the vitamin.
Study 5: The Helsinki researchers discovered that insulin-producing cells need vitamin D to do their job. A lack of the hormone can throw the sugar metabolism out of balance and lead to diabetes. On the other hand, the more vitamin D we have in the body, the more our risk of diabetes decreases.
6th study: Jumping higher, running faster, stronger muscles: the higher their vitamin D level, the better the test subjects were able to do, according to a study from Manchester. The hormone docks onto muscle receptors and increases their performance.
7th study: The US researchers of the NHANES study are convinced that the level of blood pressure also depends on the vitamin D level. With insufficient vitamin D supply, men have a six times higher risk of high blood pressure (women 2.5 times). Vitamin D thus apparently regulates the speed and pressure of the blood.
How Much Vitamin D Do I Need?
In summer, five to ten minutes of midday sun are enough to cover the daily requirement and prevent a vitamin D deficiency. In winter, sunlight is not strong enough to stimulate the body’s production of vitamin D. Even the most nutritious and balanced diet cannot meet the need. Doctors, therefore, recommend taking vitamin D as a tablet. Advantage: It has a depot effect on the body. Therefore, depending on the dosage, one tablet per week or month is sufficient. It is best to have the vitamin D content determined by a blood test from your family doctor beforehand. The doctor then determines the individual vitamin D dose.