Most of us have heard about the benefits of taking Vitamin D. Grand Rapids' Spectrum Health Hospital states Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that are essential for normal bone formation, and a Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.
It appears, according to researchers at Tel Aviv's University Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sheba Medical Center, there may be another good reason to take Vitamin D.
Professor Howard Amital and colleagues discovered that the vitamin may also affect the outcomes of patients in intensive care.
The results of a six month study found that patients who had a Vitamin D deficiency lived an average of 8.9 days less than those who were found to have sufficient Vitamin D. Additionally, Vitamin D levels also correlated with the level of white blood cells which fight disease.
Professor Amital suggests that the effects of Vitamin D supplementation in critically ill patients be further assessed in future studies. He also suggests to not wait until you're in poor health to start taking Vitamin D.
You can get Vitamin D in several ways. The body makes Vitamin D when the skin is directly exposed to the sun. This may be a challenge for those of us who live the winters in Michigan and other states in the North, however, health experts suggest 10 â€" 15 minutes of sunshine three times weekly is enough to produce the body's requirement of Vitamin D.
Vitamin D may also be found in some foods such as dairy products, fatty fish, oysters, and fortified cereals. And finally, Vitamin D supplements may be needed, if you continue to be deficient. There are side effects of too much Vitamin D, however. As always, consult your health care professional for guidance.
The study was published in the journal QJM: An International Journal of Medicine.
For more on the Tel Aviv University study
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