Vitamin D: the sunshine vitamin
You've probably heard vitamin D called the "sunshine vitamin," and there's a good reason for that. Unlike pretty much every other vitamin, your body can actually make it when you're out in the sun. Pretty cool, right?
Topic
Beginner
63 posts
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Sitemap: Everything at a glance
Our sitemap provides you with easy access to various sections of our website. It is updated regularly and offers direct links to all pages.
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Eating disorders — when weight-loss culture turns harmful
The boundary between health-conscious behavior and disordered eating has never been harder to identify.
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Authors — who writes on bavida
Contributors who write for bavida — named editors, editorial teams, and occasional guest voices. Each author page links to everything they have published here.
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Mindfulness — present-moment training for stress reduction
From corporate boardrooms to university classrooms, mindfulness meditation has evolved from ancient practice to scientifically validated intervention. Modern research reveals how brief daily sessions reshape brain structure, reduce workplace burnout, and improve cognitive performance.
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Club — member-only space attached to the network
Member-only space attached to the network — discussions, drafts, occasional events. Invitation or application based.
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Hubs — curated theme groupings
Curated theme groupings that collect related articles, profiles, and reference material in one place.
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Vitamin D Day — annual awareness initiative
November 2. Every year. It's Vitamin D Day. The hormone precursor is finally getting attention. And it needs it. The discovery is credited to multiple scientists. Their work formed the foundation of what we understand today.
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Could vitamin D be the key to slowing aging?
What if the key to slowing down the aging process was as simple as getting enough vitamin D? A landmark study published this year in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vitamin D supplementation may do exactly that—by protecting the very structures that keep our cells young.
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Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND)
Largest US association of registered dietitians — publishes evidence-based nutrition guidelines and credentials RDs since 1917.
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Linus Pauling Institute — bavida
Oregon State University research centre studying micronutrients and chronic disease — publishes the Micronutrient Information Center as a free reference.
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GrassrootsHealth Nutrient Research Institute
Non-profit research institute running D*action — a citizen-science study mapping vitamin D status to health outcomes, with an advocacy lean toward higher target levels.
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Vitamin D Deficiency — clinical research review
For a number of reasons, many people aren’t getting enough vitamin D to stay healthy. This is called vitamin D deficiency.
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Vitamin D Sources — clinical research review
The two main ways to get vitamin D are by exposing your bare skin to sunlight and by taking vitamin D supplements. You can’t get the right amount of vitamin D your body needs from food.
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Vitamin D and Physiology — clinical research review
When vitamin D comes into your body, it goes through all sorts of processes and is turned into different forms to be effective. In this article, we’ll teach you a little about this process, and how vitamin D works in the body.
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Vitamin D Levels — clinical research review
Nearly every cell in the body contains a vitamin D receptor. Research shows vitamin D plays an important role in skeletal, immune, developmental and cardiovascular health. Thus, maintaining optimal vitamin D levels is vital for overall health.
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Vitamin D and Acne — clinical research review
Acne is a disorder of the glands which lubricate the skin, called sebaceous glands. When these glands become blocked, bacteria overgrow and causes skin lesions.
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Vitamin D and Toxicity — clinical research review
Although most people take vitamin D supplements without any problems, it’s possible to take too much. This is called vitamin D toxicity.
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Vitamin D and Parathyroid Glands
When most people think of calcium, they think it’s most important for bone health. But actually, calcium is most important for your nervous and muscular system.
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Vitamin D and Pregnancy — clinical research review
Getting the right nutrients and eating well when you’re pregnant or breastfeeding is important for your baby’s growth and development.
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Vitamin D and Asthma — clinical research review
Asthma is a lifelong lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. There are tubes or airways, which carry air to and from the lungs to the mouth and nose.
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Vitamin D and Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is a malignant tumor, which is caused by a group of cancerous cells growing in either the colon or rectum.
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Vitamin D and Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Heart failure is also called congestive heart failure (CHF). CHF occurs when the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body.
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Vitamin D and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of several cardiovascular diseases. The others include stroke, congestive heart failure, and peripheral artery disease.
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Vitamin D and Ovarian Cancer — clinical research review
Ovarian cancer is cancer that starts in the ovaries. As it has few symptoms at first, it is often diagnosed at more advanced stages.
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Vitamin D and Tuberculosis — clinical research review
Tuberculosis is a respiratory illness that usually affects the lungs, but can also infect the kidney, spine, or brain. Tuberculosis can be either dormant or active.
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Vitamin D and Respiratory Infections
Respiratory infections are any infection in the throat, sinuses, airways, or lungs. The respiratory tract is the part of the body that is involved with breathing.
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Vitamin D and Hypersensitivity
For most people, supplementing with vitamin D is a safe and healthy practice. Review of rare hypersensitivity reactions, contraindications, and dose adjustments.
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Vitamin D and Depression — clinical research review
We all feel fed up, miserable and sad at certain times in our lives. Most of the time, these feelings last for a few days, or maybe a week,
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Vitamin D Testing — clinical research review
Having blood tests to measure the amount of vitamin D in your blood is the only way to know if you’re getting enough vitamin D or not. The blood test you need is called a 25(OH)D blood test.
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Vitamin D and Minerals — clinical research review
The way that vitamins and minerals work in your body is interconnected. How well vitamin D works depends on the amount of other vitamins and minerals that are present in your body. The other vitamins and minerals needed to help vitamin D work well are called cofactors.
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What is Vitamin D? — overview and clinical context
Vitamin D is important for good overall health, strong bones, and immune function. Overview of synthesis, sources, deficiency risks, and supplementation guidance.
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Vitamin D and Eczema — clinical research review
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a chronic skin disorder that causes inflammation and red, dry, rough, and itchy skin.
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Vitamin D and Multiple Myeloma
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of the plasma cells. They are white blood cells that normally produce antibodies.
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Vitamin D and Hypertension — clinical research review
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated.
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Vitamin D and Lung Cancer — clinical research review
Lung cancer is a cancer starting in the lungs. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
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Vitamin D and Breast Cancer — clinical research review
The answer is a resounding YES, not only because there are positive clinical trials showing that vitamin D prolongs life,
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Vitamin D and Cervical Cancer — clinical research review
Cervical cancer starts on the surface of the cervix. This is the lower part of the uterus (womb), which opens at the top of the vagina.
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Vitamin D and Cognitive Impairment
Cognitive dysfunction is defined as unusually poor mental function. This causes confusion, forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
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Vitamin D and Dental Caries — clinical research review
Dental caries, also known as tooth decay, is a tooth infection caused by bacteria that leads to a loss of the hard tissues of your teeth.
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Vitamin D and Endometrial Cancer
Endometrial cancer is cancer that starts in the endometrium, the lining of the uterus (womb). Each year, endometrial cancer affects approximately 46,000 U.S.
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Vitamin D and Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic progressive neurological disease. It is linked to decreased production of dopamine, a nerve transmitter.
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Vitamin D and Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic gum condition. Bacteria cause the gums to swell, redden, and bleed. Connective tissue holding the teeth into the jaw bone may become damaged.
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Vitamin D and Prostate Cancer — clinical research review
The prostate is a small gland found in men. It is about the size of a walnut and is part of the reproductive system.
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Vitamin D and Preeclampsia — clinical research review
Preeclampsia is a condition which occurs only during pregnancy and a short post-pregnancy period. It causes increased blood pressure and protein in the urine.
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Vitamin D and Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a condition that causes memory problems and other cognitive functions that cause unpredictable changes in behavior.
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Vitamin D and Osteoporosis — clinical research review
Osteoporosis is a condition where you lose too much bone or don’t make enough bone to replace the bone that you normally lose.
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Vitamin D and IBD — clinical research review
Inflammatory bowel disease is a chronic disease that causes inflammation in all or part of the digestive tract.
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Vitamin D and Anemia — clinical research review
Anemia occurs when the body has a low number of red blood cells (RBCs). These cells carry oxygen throughout the body. Fewer RBCs limit the body’s oxygen level.
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Vitamin D and Influenza — clinical research review
Yes, you should — studies show that vitamin D helps reduce the risk of colds and flu. Review of clinical evidence on immune response and seasonal infection.
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Vitamin D and Type I Diabetes — clinical research review
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It is a condition where your own immune system attacks certain cells called beta-cells.
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Vitamin D and AIDS (HIV) — clinical research review
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The immune system begins to fail. This leads to life-threatening infections.
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Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves in the brain and spinal cord.
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Vitamin D and Type II Diabetes
Type II diabetes is a condition in which the body has a hard time managing sugar. Review of clinical research on vitamin D status and insulin sensitivity.
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Vitamin D and Lupus — clinical research review
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, is a chronic disease that affects many systems in the body, such as the skin, heart and muscles.
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Vitamin D and Esophageal Cancer
Esophageal cancer is a moderately important cause of disease and death. In the United States each year, it affects about 17 thousand people and kills approximately 15 thousand.
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Vitamin D and Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer is cancer of the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Approximately 44,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer of the pancreas each year.
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Vitamin D and Pneumonia — clinical research review
Pneumonia is a lower respiratory infection that affects the lungs. Pneumonia can usually be treated at home in a few weeks.
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Vitamin D and Rickets — clinical research review
Rickets is a condition that affects the development of bones in children. It causes soft weak bones, which can become bowed or curved.
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First Steps ED (Talk ED / ABC)
First Steps ED is a multi-award-winning eating disorder charity. Following the consolidation of services in the UK in 2025, First Steps ED officially incorporated the mission and assets of Talk ED (formerly Anorexia Bulimia Care), creating a robust network for early intervention and peer support.
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One Health Platform — human, animal, environmental health
International organisation advancing the One Health framework — the working principle that human, animal, and environmental health are inseparable problems.
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Men get eating disorders too — bavida
Men Get Eating Disorders Too – this statement may come as a surprise to some, but it’s important to recognize that eating disorders are not exclusive to women. Men can and do suffer from these conditions, but there is a lack of awareness and understanding about the issue.
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Children's Food Trust — UK childhood-nutrition charity
According to the World Health Organization, malnutrition is responsible for about 45% of deaths among children under five years old worldwide.
