Friday, January 09, 2009

Vitamin D prevents and improves several diseases

Vitamin D has been shown to suppress inflammation in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, congestive heart failure, and even stroke. Clinical studies have also shown that there is a decrease in the risk of both type 1 and 2 diabetes in individuals who supplement with vitamin D. There are far fewer falls in those elderly patients who supplement with vitamin D at this optimal level. Another important aspect is the fact that vitamin D is required for proper immune function. It is also known that those individuals who live in higher latitudes contract multiple sclerosis at far higher rates than those who obtain more sunshine throughout the year. Studies with supplementing even 400 IU of vitamin D have shown significant reduction in the risk of developing multiple sclerosis. The question is now arising that we need to actually be providing our bodies with much more vitamin D than we previously thought.

Source: Dr. Strand Health Nuggets (newsletter@Bionutrition.org)