Healthy Vitamin D Levels In Athletes May Be Related To Improving Health
Most of the people are not aware of the fact that it is extremely necessary to have healthy vitamin D levels in order to have a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin D is one of the most important substances which help in proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus in our body. It helps in reducing the risk of osteoporosis, and some types of cancer. In the recent days, researchers have found that athletes are more prone to vitamin D deficiency rather than others. In this way, it has been concluded that vitamin D deficiency can be prevented by including vitamin D supplements in your diet.
The latest study has revealed that athletes who use steroids are more at risk of vitamin D deficiency because steroids inhibit the activity of synthesis and release of steroid hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, and proorticosterone. Since these hormones are responsible for proper levels of active form of vitamin D in our body, they become ineffective. It is observed in the latest study that athletes who use steroids are more likely to have low levels of active form of vitamin D in their blood. Low levels of vitamin D can prevent proper functioning of immune system, maintain the stability of skin, promote healthy eyesight, and prevent tumor growth.
Another research conducted on the subject matter indicates that excessive sun exposure can lead to increase in the level of vitamin D in the blood. Excessive sun exposure is one of the main reasons due to which many people have inadequate levels of active form of vitamin D in their blood. Recent studies have revealed that excessive sun exposure may result in the activation of pro inflammatory cytokines which help in the formation of abnormal tumors. Moreover, excessive sun exposure also decreases the amount of vitamin D in the skin leading to a decrease in healthy vitamin D levels.
Doctors across the world say that healthy vitamin D levels are essential for proper immune function. However, most people are not aware of the fact that they can greatly improve their health conditions by simply exposing their skin to sunlight. A recent study says that most people living in cities suffer from Vitamin D deficiency and it is this deficiency which leads to many health problems such as skin cancer and osteoporosis. Therefore, exposing the skin to sunlight for several hours every day can significantly improve the health conditions of people. A new study says that exposing the skin to sunlight for at least 10 hours every week can prevent many types of chronic health diseases including heart disease, cancer and many more.
Vitamin D has been considered as an important factor for maintaining good overall health among children, but most people are not aware of its importance to adults either. According to a study conducted by Umea University, low vitamin D levels in adults have been found to be associated with numerous chronic health problems. Adults who have low levels of vitamin D in their body are at a greater risk of developing a number of serious illnesses including depression, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer and many more. On the contrary, healthy vitamin D levels in athletes were recently discovered to be associated with lower incidences of osteoporosis, high blood pressure and stroke.
Low vitamin D levels are usually caused by insufficient exposure to natural sunlight. In order to make vitamin D levels in your body higher, make sure that you consume foods that are rich in vitamin D, such as cod liver oil and oily fish. However, in order to increase your vitamin D intake to desired levels, you may also take vitamin supplements orally or sublingually.
