Our body needs various kinds of vitamins and minerals to work properly. Lack of any vitamins can create various problems. Our skin and hair also require some vitamins and minerals. Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that is most needed for our body. It is a fat-soluble vitamin and considered as one of the most critical vitamins for biological function. Skin is the natural reservoir for its production, triggered by UV light into synthesis. Our gut through a healthy diet and skin through sunlight are the two main sources of vitamin D. It is made in two forms such as vitamin D3 in the skin and D2 and D3 in the gut, which are further modified by our kidneys.
Lack of exposure to sunlight and poor diet are the two most common reasons for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is very important for us. Low vitamin D in the body can lead to many skin problems such as dry skin. Vitamin D has antibacterial properties. Its deficiency will trigger acne and breakouts. It makes a skin barrier weaker and more vulnerable. The deficiency can lead to the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
Sunlight plays a major role in helping the body to generate vitamin D. Sunlight can lead to a biochemical reaction in the skin that eventually leads to the production of active vitamin D. Vitamin D can be synthesized by the body when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight for a few minutes every day. More than sufficient exposure to sunlight can cause skin cancer and is therefore not recommended especially without a high SPF sunscreen.
However, there are several food sources that are rich in the nutrient you can consume as an alternative such as egg yolk, certain fishes (salmon, sardines, tuna), and foods enriched with vitamin D.
Here are some benefits of Vitamin D for your healthy and glowing Skin:
● Vitamin D helps to reduce inflammation. It acts as a mild-to-moderate anti-inflammatory, used clinically as a cream in the treatment of conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo. It helps to reduce exuberant inflammation, alleviating symptoms for those suffering from these conditions.
● It improves the skin barrier function and protects the skin from germs and harmful chemicals.
● Vitamin D decreases environmental damages. It acts as an antioxidant and a topical vitamin D can also squelch damaging environmental oxidants that cause premature aging.
● It locks in the moisture, thus preventing any kinds of dehydration of the skin.
● It normalizes cell turnover and prevents the build-up of dead cells on the skin's surface that lead to psoriasis plaques.
● It enhances immunity of the skin by boosting the production of cells of the immune system. It also regulates the activity of the immune cells to prevent overactivation of the immune system.
● It acts as a steroid, working within a cell’s nucleus to stimulate proliferation, regulate function, and potentially stabilize genes. It acts as a protective role in cancers.
● It has antimicrobial effects on the skin.
● It helps to play a role in the normal maturation of the skin barrier, the skin's immune system, wound healing, and the hair growth cycle. Low levels of vitamin D in the body makes the skin dry, delayed wound healing, psoriasis, and hair loss.
● It also regulates oil production through sebaceous glands present in the skin.
Inputs Provided by: Dr. Ajay Rana (world renowned Dermatologist and Aesthetic Physician)
