The Importance of Vitamin D

Oct 18, 2019Devicare

What is vitamin D?

Vitamins are necessary for the body to grow and function normally.

Vitamin D is of vital importance, as it helps our body absorb calcium and therefore strengthen our bones. This vitamin also plays an important role in the nervous, muscular, and immune systems. Muscles need it for movement, nerves for transmitting messages between the brain and different parts of the body, and the immune system for fighting viruses and bacteria that invade the body. *1,2

Lack of vitamin D is an increasingly common problem among people living in cities. This deficiency leads to lower intestinal calcium absorption, which causes the parathyroid hormone to start mobilizing calcium for the bone. According to recent studies, more than 40% of Spaniards under 65 and more than 80% of the senior population suffer from vitamin D deficiency in their bodies. *3

What is its importance in kidney stones?

Although the role of vitamin D in the development of kidney stones is still a controversial topic, many experts assure that low levels of vitamin D are linked to practically all cases of kidney stones due to the lack of inhibition of intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), as I explained in the previous paragraph. Hyperparathyroidism caused by vitamin D deficiency can be corrected through dietary changes, thus preventing the future occurrence of more lithiasis events. *4

How can I increase vitamin D in my body?

There are three main ways to get vitamin D: through the skin (with moderate sun exposure), with supplements, and through diet. Although diet is the most important source of this vitamin, it is difficult to find foods that naturally contain this vitamin, but among them we can find: *5