Benefits of vitamin d for menopausal women

After entering menopause, the body is certainly not as good as it used to be. The body also becomes more susceptible to various diseases such as heart disease, osteoporosis and diabetes.

In order to stay protected from these risks, the need for nutrients and vitamins must really be fulfilled. Vitamin D is believed to be one of the most important vitamins for maintaining your health after menopause.

Benefits of vitamin D for menopausal women

Vitamin D is most widely known for its properties to maintain healthy bones and teeth. However, it turns out that vitamin D also has a number of other benefits that are no less beneficial for the body. Anything?

1. Keeps you from the risk of type 2 diabetes

Diabetes 2 is a condition in which blood sugar levels exceed normal. This disease is caused by insulin resistance, which means that the body cannot use blood sugar properly due to a disruption in the body's response to insulin.

Vitamin D is believed to help increase the body's sensitivity to insulin, the hormone responsible for regulating blood sugar levels. Later, these benefits will help you reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes.

The benefits have even been proven in an experiment conducted on nondiabetic people aged 65 years and over. The group who regularly drank IU 700 vitamin D had lower glucose increases over the past three years than those who did not take it.

2. Maintain healthy bones

Vitamin D is a vitamin that plays a major role in maintaining calcium and phosphorus levels which will help prevent bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis.

A study shows that vitamin D deficiency can be a factor in triggering several disorders such as low back pain and bone degeneration. What's more, vitamin D deficiency is common in women during the postmenopausal period.

Therefore, it is better for postmenopausal women to continue to meet adequate intake of vitamin D in order to reduce the intensity of bone problems.

3. Vitamin D helps prevent breast cancer

Apparently, good levels of vitamin D in the body can help keep you from the risk of several cancers, especially breast cancer. Vitamin D is believed to have anti-carcinogenic properties that will fight cancer-causing substances.

Serum in vitamin D will inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. From one study, giving vitamin D level 100 was still closely associated with a significantly reduced risk of invasive breast cancer (spread to other tissues) by 45 percent.

4. Maintain the health of the sex organs

In many women, menopause also affects the state of the female organs. Some common problems include vaginal discomfort due to dryness, itching and irritation.

This is actually normal, considering that at menopause the level of estrogen which helps natural lubrication and maintains the elasticity of the vaginal muscles has decreased. This of course can affect daily activities, including sexual activity and quality of life.

The good news, vitamin D can help increase the growth of vaginal epithelial cells which will reduce symptoms of itching and irritation, especially for menopausal women.

Vitamin D also helps treat vaginal dryness and balance the pH which in turn can prevent problems like bacterial vaginosis which causes smelly vaginal discharge.

5. Help improve mood

One of the signs that women feel when approaching menopause is mood swings. In fact, sometimes this bad emotional state can lead to depression.

Fortunately, one of them can be prevented by increasing the intake of vitamin D. Keep in mind, low levels of vitamin D in the body can interfere with the performance of cognitive function in the brain, which is an organ that plays an important role in influencing one's emotions.

Indeed, vitamin D is not the solution if you are depressed. However, at least vitamin D can help improve your mood.

Meet the intake of vitamin D for menopausal women

Source: Health Europa

In fact, our bodies can produce their own vitamin D. However, you should also increase your intake from outside in order to meet your daily vitamin needs.

Because the skin can produce vitamin D with the help of the sun, one way you can do this is to bask in the sun. Try to spend about 15-20 minutes standing in the sun three times a week.

Vitamin D can also be obtained from sources in the form of foods that contain it. Some of them are cod liver oil, salmon, tuna, beef liver and yogurt.

Unfortunately, vitamin D in food is more commonly found in animal products. Those of you who live a vegan life may find it difficult if you only depend on food sources.

Fortunately, there are still vitamin D supplements as a solution. Everyone's need for vitamin D actually varies. In older people, usually oral vitamin D contains 800–2,000 IU. Most supplements are also safe to take without a doctor's prescription.

But in order not to cause problems, it's better to consult your doctor or nutritionist again. Your doctor may recommend a supplement that's right for you.