Vitamin D is actually a hormone. That's why it helps protect bone strength, increases the calories that go into muscles versus fat, and has an impact on immune, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and cardiovascular health.
But that's not all. In fact, vitamin D's benefits just keep expanding.
A study in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia found that those who took vitamin D supplements were 40% less likely to develop dementia than those who didn't take any. (I recommend 1,000 IU a day of D3; and more if a blood test reveals you need a boost).
That recent study builds on research from 2014, which found that people with low levels of vitamin D had a 53% higher risk of developing dementia, and severe deficiency of the vitamin caused a 125% increased risk compared to those with normal D levels.
Another benefit is that healthy levels of vitamin D can help manage inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A study in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that taking vitamin D supplements reduced IBD-related emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and corticosteroid use.
Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D blood level to see if you need to supplement. (Low levels of are associated with an increased risk of colon and breast cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis and lupus).
You can also boost your D levels with 10 minutes a day of sun exposure without sunscreen, and by eating mushrooms grown with exposure to either sunlight or UV light, as well as fatty fish such as salmon.
Recipes are available in the "What to Eat When Cookbook."