We should always monitor our vitamin D balance because, according to modern research into aging, humans can nowadays live as long as 115 years. But prolongation of life is not always synonymous with quality of life. Increased life expectancy has meant that the incidence of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis has increased significantly. This disease, in which bone mass and density decrease, has now reached epidemic proportions. This where vitamin D (which is actually a hormone because we make it ourselves) plays a really big role.
Vitamin D is produced with the aid of sunlight on our skin, a process called synthesis . If we have a genetic weakness in this respect and suffer from vitamin D deficiency – something that can be measured – we need to take supplements of this vitamin. Very little of it is present in the food we eat, which means we need to consume it in the form of a vitamin capsule. In addition to preventing osteoporosis, vitamin D also gives protection against cancer. Cancer patients are nowadays treated with very high doses of vitamin D supplements. A person who has a good vitamin D level also enjoys good protection against breast, colon and prostate cancer. And on top of all this, it is one of the vitamins that contribute significantly to boosting the immune system.