What are the benefits of taking vitamin D?

Mar 12, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Bai Hongmei

Introduction

Under normal circumstances, taking vitamin D offers benefits such as promoting calcium absorption, regulating phosphorus metabolism, enhancing muscle function, modulating the immune system, and protecting cardiovascular health. In daily life, moderate sun exposure is recommended, as 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin can be converted into vitamin D under sunlight's ultraviolet radiation; however, care should be taken to avoid sunburn.

Generally speaking, taking vitamin D offers benefits such as promoting calcium absorption, regulating phosphorus metabolism, enhancing muscle function, modulating the immune system, and protecting cardiovascular health. If vitamin D supplementation is needed, it should be done under a doctor's guidance. Detailed explanations are as follows:

1. Promoting Calcium Absorption

Vitamin D promotes calcium absorption through the intestinal mucosa. It induces the synthesis of calcium-binding proteins, which enhance the mucosa's capacity to transport calcium, facilitating its movement from the intestines into the bloodstream. This increases blood calcium levels, providing sufficient calcium for bone mineralization and maintaining normal bone growth and development.

2. Regulating Phosphorus Metabolism

Vitamin D plays an essential role not only in calcium absorption and metabolism but also in promoting renal reabsorption of phosphorus, reducing phosphorus excretion, and maintaining normal blood phosphorus levels. Maintaining a balanced calcium-phosphorus ratio is crucial for normal bone mineralization and many physiological functions in the body, and vitamin D plays a key role in regulating this balance.

3. Enhancing Muscle Function

Vitamin D receptors are present in muscle cells. Vitamin D can regulate muscle cell function by binding to these receptors. It enhances calcium uptake and utilization by muscle cells, improving muscle contractility and increasing muscle strength and physical performance.

4. Modulating the Immune System

Vitamin D is essential for the immune system, as it can regulate the proliferation, differentiation, and function of immune cells. It promotes the production of immunologically active substances such as antimicrobial peptides by immune cells, enhancing the body's resistance to pathogens and helping defend against bacterial and viral infections.

5. Protecting Cardiovascular Health

Vitamin D may exert protective effects on the cardiovascular system through multiple mechanisms. It can regulate the renin-angiotensin system, inhibit renin secretion, and reduce the production of angiotensin II, thereby lowering blood pressure. Additionally, vitamin D inhibits the proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells, reducing the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

In daily life, it is recommended to get appropriate sun exposure, as 7-dehydrocholesterol in the skin can be converted into vitamin D under ultraviolet light. However, care should be taken to avoid sunburn.

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Should patients with otolithiasis take vitamin D or D3?

Generally speaking, there is no specific recommendation for people with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) to take vitamin D or vitamin D3. However, BPPV patients may appropriately supplement vitamin D under medical guidance. Detailed analysis is as follows: BPPV patients can also follow their doctor's advice to take medications such as mecobalamin tablets, betahistine hydrochloride tablets, and oryzanol tablets for adjunctive treatment. In daily life, they can moderately consume fresh fruits and vegetables, such as tomatoes and apples.